Peach
by Paradoxal Reality
Summary: What if the Jade Palace was built for someone other than Oogway? What if they left until the 'great evil' Oogway foresaw approaching the land was gone? What happened to Tai Lung? Romance, eventually. Ch. 20 up!
1. Chapter 1

AN: I love this movie, and after leaving it some things stuck with me.. the Jade Palace, the massive army, the impressively but simply fortified village that was protected largely by clever usage of the geography? My versions of events don't necessarily jive 100 with those in the website, or probably even in the making of book, but please bear with me. Think of it as a what if set in a universe just a step or two off from the main world of Kung Fu Panda, if anything seems hopelessly contradictory. That being said, I hope you enjoy my tale. I own nothing but a few OC's, at least one with a hopelessly tangled, nonsensical name.

Chapter One: What Might Have Been

The old kung fu master stood framed in the massive doorway of the Jade Palace, thinking. He could see that the preparations he'd asked for had been completed, three small birds in cages sat at the top of the stairs. He walked cautiously out to inspect them, leaning heavily on the flute he sometimes was compelled to use as a cane. He reached to open the first cage, but something made him pause.

Shifu turned his eyes down the staircase, looking down over the village that nestled at the foot of the mountain like a contented pet beside its' master. The great evil that Master Oogway had foretold had come to pass. Twice, just as the old turtle had predicted. Shifu was uncertain if he believed that it had truly been deflected in the manner that the ancient one had intended. But then, how could they have known that the great evil that would rear its' head to endanger them all... would arrive in the form of a small, harmless, fluffy grey baby?

A small twist of regretful pain seized at Shifu's heart, and he sighed. He no longer agonized and blamed himself for Tai Lung's betrayal, now that he had accepted his part in it. He had failed the one he had loved and raised as his son, but now he could also see that Tai Lung had failed himself as well.

Had the great lord been here, in the Jade Palace, how differently would things have panned out? Would HE have taken the little cub in? How could he not have? What havoc could Tai Lung have wrought if the knowledge that he'd eagerly soaked up like a sponge had been military warfare instead of the discipline of kung fu?

Shifu stifled the urge to shudder as the idea of Tai Lung, commanding the enormous Chorh-Gom army swam suddenly in front of his eyes. He tried clenching them shut and holding his hands over his ears, but the vision had him fully in its' grip now and would not release him. He could see the Jade Palace in flames, could smell the choking aura of despair and smoke... the village below only beginning to burn in the hazy midsummer sunlight. He could hear screams of terror echoing up from the town below, and saw a much younger version of himself running into the courtyard of the exhibition grounds, wide-eyed and panic-striken.

The younger Shifu's training robe was smeared with drying blood, and the older Shifu watching knew immediately that it belonged to the great dog lord. His younger self must have only just escaped from the flaming ruin of the Jade Palace. So it was too late then, Morimotsuhitsu had fallen. The lord's own two sons- the bear and the leopard- had killed him and taken command of the bored and frustrated army.

The oldest daughter had run to the treasury to hide and had obviously not survived long afterwards if the memory his younger self was struggling to repress was any indication, and the youngest girl.. he didn't know where she was, but he could feel that she was here, somewhere. His master had ordered him to find whatever of the lord's family had survived and evacuate them before the seemingly ageless turtle had rushed off towards the town.

Young Shifu darted quickly to the gates, and risked a fast glance down again towards the valley. He had a cold, unmoving pressure in his chest which suddenly made him certain that his master either had or shortly would die in the attempt at stopping Tai Lung and Guiren. The red panda debated with himself as he stood in the doorway of his old life. Run? Not run? Fight? Not fight? Search more? Give up? His thoughts tumbled over each other like a landslide of loose stones, refusing to be quieted.

"Sh-Shifu!"

He whirled around to see the youngest girl, her face soaked with tears and her clothing was torn and bloody. From the way she hesitantly limped out from behind the broken barrel she'd apparently been hiding in, he reasoned that it must be her own blood that she was wearing. The raccoon dog was gasping for breath and clutching her limply-hanging left arm as she struggled out of her hiding place. He rushed back, and caught more than steadied her as the tanuki stumbled over to him.

"Father's dead, isn't he?" she whimpered as he attempted to make a tourniquet out of part of her embroidered sleeve. There was an open gash in that broken arm that was losing most of the unsettling amount of blood that had stained her fur and wardrobe. His younger self couldn't manage to say the words, so he settled for a brisk nod.

The girl's despondant expression hardened. "Wh-what do we do?" Shifu looked up at her, a little taken aback that the spoiled little girl who'd taken it upon herself to make his entire training and life at the Jade Palace a hell on earth was now looking so earnestly to him for guidance. Before he could answer, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps coming from the doors. In leiu of an answer, he grabbed up the young girl and ran with her, back through the courtyard, through the gates that faced the palace, and into the rough trail that wound around the side of the mountain.

He hoped that the thick smoke now blowing down from the ruined palace would camoflague their escape. He had not counted on it also concealing a portion of the massive army. Which was led by that massive, cocky leopard. The smoke swirled around them again, and Shifu readied himself, setting the shivering girl down in the grass behind him. He could not abandon an injured young girl to them. And there was little chance he could overcome them all himself.

So be it then. If he must die, he'd sell his life and hers as dearly and honorably as he possibly could. And then, with the leopard's battle cry ringing in his ears, Shifu's world went black.

He found himself crumpled on the ground before the thousand steps, just where he'd been before. The three caged birds sitting beside him chirruped and peeped curiously, and he wondered how long he'd been out if creatures with so little brain as these were interested in his condition. He felt something sitting on top of his head and reached up with a shaking hand to investigate.

A single peach blossom petal greeted him before being drawn away into the gentle breeze that wafted up from the valley. The red panda watched it flutter away numbly. Had his late master given him a powerful vision of what might have been? Or had the whole thing been a stress-induced nightmare after the vicious beating his former student had given him earlier?

No matter. The time had come. He carefully opened each cage and began releasing the three nightengales. One for each party who'd left the Jade Palace. One for Ruiling, who had fled to the palace belonging to her wealthy mother- four long days' journey in the east. One for Guiren, who'd taken part of the army and left to join the Imperial forces in the outpost two days to the south. And lastly, the oldest bird was brought out. Shifu had doubts that the poor thing would be able to fly at all, let alone track down its master. But the moment he held it aloft, it's head raised and it darted into the air as if it knew exactly where it was headed.

Shifu certainly hoped that it did. No one really knew where Lord Morimotsuhitsu had gone when he'd taken Oogway's warning about the approach of a great and dangerous evil to heart. All that anyone knew was that he was travelling in disguise.. and that he'd allowed his clingy youngest daughter to accompany him.

The kung fu master gave another world-weary sigh and gathered the small cages. Soon enough the true lord of the Jade Palace would return. Shifu could only hope that Oogway's friend "Lord Morry" would be as he remembered him... and that his children would not.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews! Here's part 2. If you recognize a certain line Shifu says towards the end, it's from The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

Chapter Two: What Has Come Before

A week passed.

It was, to be sure, an eventful week. The highlight of it was the Furious Five repairing the much-mangled Thread of Hope rope bridge. Between Po's haphazard attempts at helping and Tigress's temper, it took every iota of Shifu's patience to get through that catastrophe with only a few more white hairs to his name.

But now the bridge was re-strung, the boards checked and re-checked along it's interconnected lengths that led away from their little valley, and the enormous stone gates had been secured. It had become merely a matter of waiting.

So wait they did.

The rubble was swept up, the debris was disposed of, and the priceless artifacts remaining in the Hall of Heroes were inventoried, cleaned, and remounted in their shrines. Zeng carefully repaired the Urn of Whispering Warriors, and Po cautiously looked for lost souls from it to sweep back into the container.

The Furious Five alternately trained and cleaned, and Shifu meditated or told his students tales of what had come before.

It was all news to his pupils, of course. They had never known a time when the Jade Palace had a lord, other than Master Oogway. Of course, they were young. Most of his students had barely seen two decades of life, and as far as they had previously been concerned- all that was, was all that had ever been.

A short-sighted point of view, but a very young one. Perhaps this was precisely the call for awakening to the world around them- the world beyond the boundaries of the world that training, combat, and the present day- that his young charges needed.

Shifu only wished that it did not make him feel so very old to realise it as he had told them of life when he had first come to the Jade Palace.

"No one knows for certain the land from which Lord Morimotsuhitsu came," he told them as they all clustered around the dining table. "All that is known is that he was a fierce and cunning warrior, who arrived from over the sea. A great dog, white as the caps of the waves, and his courage and tactical skill won him many followers."

His students- all save Tigress- oooohed in apprciation as he told them of the great wardog's exploits, as he'd risen from a simple wanderer to the commander of a small army that had pushed back the invaders from the north. And then how the Emperor himself had appointed Morimotsuhitsu, a foreigner, commander of the largest of his armies. And finally, when China was deemed safe for its' people once more, the Emperor had granted his most loyal, and most well-loved warlord land upon which to retire.

Land which, he informed them, included the Valley of Peace. And here he had settled, and the town had grown in response. And as well had his family grown.

"The oldest, Ruiling, was always such a fussy girl, with eyes that flashed like gold." Shifu recalled, chuckling at the memory. "Master Oogway used to tease her endlessly by implying that the patterns on her gowns were uneven. I don't know who disliked him more, the girl or her seamstress. Fortunately, we rarely saw her or her mother outside the palace. Her mother's family was quite wealthy, and upon her death, Ruiling talked of nothing but her desire to move into their great hall."

The red panda took a long drink of his cooling tea. "When Master Oogway had a vision of a horrible threat coming to destroy the valley, Ruiling was the easiest to convince to leave. All it took was a few bearers and some travelling money, and she was already halfway out the door."

Viper was heard to snort derisively at this. Shifu merely nodded in agreement.

"There was also a son, though not of Morimotsuhitsu's blood. He found this child, during one of his journeys to and from the Imperial Palace, and named him Guiren. In time, the child grew to be a young man, full of anger and spite. With silvery eyes like the cold and distant moon. He knew, as did everyone, that he was not our lord's proper son. And it infuriated him. He was quick-tempered, and always eager to fight."

Shifu sighed, leaning back in his chair. "He demanded that Master Oogway teach him kung fu. To my astonishment, Oogway agreed. It was only after Guiren had quit in frustration a mere two hours into his training that I understood my master's reasoning."

The master sat his cup down once more. "Guiren never had the patience for anything that required more than brute strength. He was one of the biggest annoyances of my own training, perpetually challenging me to fight. If I would not agree, he would become furious, and attack anyway."

"He was the hardest to get to leave, he wanted to stay and combat whatever was coming our way. It took half of Lord Morimotsuhitsu's army to get him to leave the Valley of Peace." Shifu shook his head, as if to dispel the lingering memory of the event.

"The youngest girl," he muttered darkly, "was a horrible little brat, perhaps worse than the other two put together. A little raccoon dog with bronze-colored eyes, and an absolute talent for mischief. She was spoiled by her father because her young mother died in childbirth. She was continuously in trouble, or causing it. And like her brother, she seemed to prefer attempting to antagonize me."

The red panda frowned. "She was only ten, a mere child still, when her father gave the decree that he would trust in Master Oogway's judgement and evacuate his family from the Jade Palace, for fear of the threat that he sensed coming. She cried and begged to be allowed to travel with her father. And finally, he allowed it before we all went deaf." Shifu shook his head at the memory. "And so Master Oogway promised to send word, once the danger was past, that it was safe to come home."

Shifu stood, and regarded each of his students in turn. "I do not know what will happen when Lord Morimotsuhitsu returns, my students.. but I know and trust that you will represent Master Oogway and his teachings with the greatest honor." He bowed to them, and smiled then.

Po visibly startled at the action. "W-wait a minute. I thought that once Tai Lung was defeated... well... you know.." The panda twiddled his fingers nervously, noting all the eyes on him. He grinned and shrugged. "Whatever happened to 'they all lived happily ever after', you know?"

Shifu chuckled. "Know this, Dragon Warrior... there are no such things as happy endings." Po's green eyes widened in disbelief as his master motioned him to come closer. "And that," Shifu stated calmly, "Is because nothing ever truly ends." The panda's brow furrowed in concentration, as he tried to make sense of the phrase. "That sounds... really depressing."

The old red panda laughed outright, then. "Is it? I thought it was rather reassuring, myself." The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior watched as Master Shifu, who suddenly looked quite pleased with himself, departed from the room.

Po shot an accusatory glare at his comrades. "Okay, did any of you get what he meant by that? 'Cause I'm really starting to think that this 'zen' stuff is just for messing with people's heads." Crane shrugged his wings and looked thoughtful. "Perhaps it only seems that way to us because we've haven't yet mastered that skill?"

From down the hallways, Master Shifu's voice echoed back to them. "You'll understand when you're older, my students!" Po grabbed his head in his hands and moaned. "Oh that does it, he's definitely messing with us!"


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Finally, time for the family to come home! Things are finally picking up!

Chapter Three: What Has Arrived

On the sixth day, even before the sun had risen over the village, Shifu knew. Today was the day. The lord and his family were coming home.

Now, from his vantage point overlooking the training hall, Shifu prepared mentally. Soon it would be time to put an end to the practice below. He allowed himself a brief moment of pride as he watched his students practicing. They had broken into groups of three, with two attacking the third in each. It was truly a sight to behold as they moved in concert.

Beside the enormous turtle shell, Crane appeared to evade Viper and Mantis almost effortlessly. No motion of his broad wings was wasted, the slightest movement was a calculated deflection. Mantis and Viper moved in tandem, leaping and diving around each other with the ease of two koi circling each other in a pond. They often struck out at Crane simultaneously, attempting to catch him off guard, but the large bird danced away from each attempt with practiced ease.

The Dragon Warrior, meanwhile, faced off much more clumsily against Monkey and Tigress. Tigress and Monkey leapt past each other with lightening speed, attempting to confuse Po before they attacked. Well, for all the good it did them. The panda seemed to know their every movement before they made it, and countered each blow with a counterstrike that looked so lazily offhand that the fierce female warrior was becoming enraged that neither of her practice partners were taking things seriously enough.

Shifu hummed thoughtfully, barely catching the mischievous glance that passed between the two males. There was only the smallest of indications that something was about to change. And then, the dynamics of the whole bout warped. Tigress was the one on the defensive as Po and Monkey changed tactics and attacked her instead. Their trainer fought to keep from laughing aloud at the stunned look on Tigress' face as she was suddenly assailed.

The Master of the Tiger style caught Monkey by the wrist and sent him tumbling back with a powerful throw, but Po intervened, jumping into the line of fire. With a positively diabolical laugh, Monkey used his partner like a springboard, leaping back at the startled Tigress. The large cat gave an undignified yelp and dove clumsily to the side, knocking a startled Crane over, not at all like her perfectly poised typical self.

Po and Monkey's victorious dancing was interrupted as Crane and Tigress teamed up now, launching a new offensive against the pair of pranksters. "Time to go! Nice knowning you, panda!" Monkey cried, vaulting over the startled panda's head and leaping towards the rings hanging from the ceiling. Mantis and Viper looked at each other and shrugged, unsure of what they were meant to be doing now.

Tigress sprang from the right, only to be deflected by Po's large stomach swinging up to meet her. Crane had slightly better luck, knocking the panda off-balance with a sweep of his powerful wings. Po stumbled, falling over on his back.

"Uh oh.." the panda gasped, and began frantically attempting to right himself.

Seeing their chance, Tigress and Crane leapt atop the Dragon Warrior, attempting to restrain him. Po began to howl with laughter and thrash as Tigress grabbed at his arms, prompting her to cackle and shout "He's ticklish! GET HIM!"

At her shout, all of her fellow warriors gave battle cries and pounced. Within moments, Po was reduced to a helpless black and white ball of laughter as the entire Furious Five attacked.

Shifu facepalmed. As much as he hated to interrupt this facinating bout before it took on a new, bizarre twist, the kung fu grandmaster reached for his flute, and blew a harsh, loud note on it. Immediately all action below froze.. except for the hiccups that Po had developed from an overdose of uncontrolled laughter.

He gave a quick nod to his students, and pointed out the open doors, towards the gates. "Today." he said simply, and turned to stalk back into the Palace proper. Crane surged into the air, heading towards the village. Tigress, Mantis, Viper and Monkey scrambled to begin cleaning up the training room. Po laid in the floor, weakly hiccuping.

His students knew, of course, exactly what he meant. Anticipation and anxiety about this event had been thick in the air since the night he had first told them of what was to come.

The red panda took quick stock of the condition of the palace as he entered the large doors. Most of their time had been spent on the Thread of Hope, and thus the palace itself was still in quite a piteous state. The village below.. well it was still a complete shambles. But there was no more time.

Down in the village, excitement as almost as high as it had been during the Dragon Warrior ceremony. At last, after two decades, the great lord of the Valley of Peace was returning. The broken streets were swept, the rubble and shattered stone were cleared, and at the sight of Master Crane gliding down from the Jade Palace to stand watch by the gate, many cheered in anticipation. And so they settled into vantage points to watch.

And they waited.

And they waited some more.

And finally, just as most were beginning to lose their conviction, Crane gave a yelp of surprise. "They're here!" A fresh bout of applause echoed through the streets, and the citizens abandoned the few last-minute tasks that they'd taken up in order to join the crowd.

An enormous caravan was coming, strung out over the road from where they'd been forced to cross the Thread of Hope single file.

It was quite an impressive number of guard that surrounded the dog lord's only son, Guiren. The large sun bear ignored the enthusiastic crowd as he and his company marched through the streets on foot, and he seemed distinctly put off by the difficult journey. His gaze was set straight ahead, and he barely seemed to take note of the crowd or the condition of the city.

His dark fur was shot through with gray, and he wore heavy armor that was adorned only by the scratches and scars of past battles. This alone set the crowd murmuring, and they moved back from him. Armor-making, like most artisanal crafts, was supposed to be a labor that produced not only a functional piece, but a work of art as well. This was no work of artistry. This was something that felt downright alien.

Hoping for a more charasmatic personality, next the crowd watched the approach of the elaborate palanquin that was coming through the gates. Instead of the anticipated person, however, the carriage contained the dog lord's oldest child.

Child no more, the tan and grey vixen Ruiling was now obviously in her her fifties. The flashing jewelry, gobs of perfume, and gleaming silks did nothing but enhance the impression that the oldest girl was definitely past her prime. The palanquin itself, covered unevenly in gold paint, proved on closer inspection to be at best shoddily made. A few villagers exchanged whispers about how brave or foolhardy one would have to be to ride in the cracked, creaking thing.

"Ruiling used to be such a looker, too!" one of Mr. Ping's neighbors lamented softly. Po's father eased away from the other man, in case the fox was the petty sort who had good hearing.

Either Ruiling didn't notice or didn't care about what was thought of her appearance, as she seemed mostly concerned with lambasting the condition of the roads. "That ridiculous rope bridge," she cried, "and now THIS!?" The gray-brown fox harrumphed and stuck her nose in the air. Mr. Ping couldn't help but wonder if she was doing so purely out of spite, or if she was also displeased by the almost-visible cloud of perfume that was surrounding her.

"This dreadful little town has become an awful little dive. I hope father does NOT expect me to put up with this level of... of filth!" She continued to complain until her voice was lost to the crowd, but her vast army of luggage-bearers seemed to go on forever. The smell, thankfully, began to dissipate as she grew further and further away.

From his perch above the city's gate, Crane groaned aloud. "Oh dear." He, and several of the townsfolk, watched for several more minutes for any sign of another guest. Nothing. Nothing but bearer after bearer bringing in more of Ruiling's elaborately-carved luggage.

Perhaps their guests would not all arrive together after all?

He knew that he would want to keep as much distance between himself and that brooding, dangerous-seeming bear and his overdressed, overly-perfumed sister as possible. Giving the disappointed crowd a shrug of his wings, Crane took flight once more. Perhaps Master Shifu would have some insight about this new wrinkle.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: It looks like most of the players are finally in place. Onward!

Renkon Nairu: Ha ha, yes Ruiling is definitely going to be annoying!

Chapter Four: What Wasn't Noticed

No one paid any attention to the last few stragglers to come through the gates. After all, what would be the point? They weren't surrounded by bodyguards. None among them were dressed up and the dingy enclosed handtruck they had difficulty manuevering through the broken streets was as eye-catching as any old pebble lying in the road.

The small party had edged into the village while everyone was distracted with the arrival of the great lord's two oldest. It wasn't that hard to do, at all. And the leader of the group reflected that the fact that her overly-aggressive brother and her prima donna sister were making spectacles of themselves was distraction enough for the entire village.

And speaking of which, it had obviously been through a lot. Holes had been blown in the streets, buildings had been toppled, and the thick dust that came with demolition and construction hung heavily in the air. It was still their village, though. Recognizable even under the grime.

She'd slipped along cautiously behind the large processions that led up to the Jade Palace seemlessly, having only a couple of helpers with her. They easily passed cursory inspection by the now disillusioned and disgruntled townsfolk as stragglers bringing in more of Lady Ruiling's luggage, led by a short servant wearing a threadbare hooded cloak. Not unusual, considering the circumstances. One pig was even heard to comment that he'd hide his face with shame too, if he worked for that stuck up fox.

So their little group had passed without escort, inquiry, or even a second glance through the small village at the heart of the Valley of Peace. Up the long flight of stairs they trudged, falling farther and farther behind as the leader wondered if there had always been so many of the damned things and the servants struggled with their load. Under the best of conditions, the massive stone steps would have been difficult to manage. Today, with huge chunks taken out of them, they were almost impossible to get the wheeled cart up.

Finally they gained the top, and as they caught their breath, she assured them that it would be fine for them to return to their homes. Paying them each a few gold coins for their trouble and discretion, she bade them farewell. She and her father had finally come home.

The raccoon dog edged closer to the large double doors, peeking in at the scene unfolding inside. How typical, Ruiling was sobbing about the loss of some of the priceless junk that had littered the hall for ages. The fox had a voice like a great, mythical beast...

"I thought we left you and Oogway to PROTECT the Jade Palace, Shifu!"

...if said beast was in its' final, violent death throes.

Shifu glowered levelly at Ruiling, refusing to be impressed. "You will notice, Lady Ruiling, the palace IS still standing."

"Partially!"

The fox dabbed daintily at her eyes with her silken sleeve, and Shifu noticed that her overwrought makeup did not even smudge. Her eyes were perfectly dry. The red panda's evaluating gaze turned into a squint. He had inner peace, not infinite patience.

"Master Oogway foresaw that disaster would befall the Jade Palace. That sorrow would come to its' doorstep and visit woe upon those who lived here. Your father trusted his judgement and saw to it that none of you was here to be blighted by it." The small kung fu master suppressed a slight flinch at the memory.

The visitor spying from the doorway noticed the odd look that touched Shifu's eyes, but wondered if it was a reaction to being in close proximity to her sister's copious perfume. She mentally shrugged and looked for her other sibling. There. She smiled at the sight of what was unmistakably her brother and his famous attitude. Shifu turned, and pointed what appeared to be a length of bamboo at the darker bear.

"And similarly, Lord Guiren, your father entrusted the remainder of his army to Master Oogway's direction." The sun bear leaned over the much shorter individual and gave Shifu a glare that would have sent most scurrying for the hills. Shifu's ears flicked back, and he lowered his voice to a soft growl. "I will not discuss where it is or why it is there. That is a concern for our lord, not for his children."

Guiren's answer verged on the unintelligible, at least for the woman listening from the doorway. She couldn't be certain, but it certainly sounded as though her esteemed older brother Guiren was enraged that the massive army their father had maintained was off at a single prison, which was apparently without even a single prisoner. How bizarre. But what else could one expect from a conspicuously odd person like Master Oogway.

The raccoon dog glanced around the entry hall, with it's ornately carved columns, several made of solid jade that gave the palace it's namesake, and its' small reflecting pool. Even here, battle damage was obvious. Her attention was drawn as the sound of the excalating shouting match grew fainter, and she realized belatedly that the party had up and left without her. Her brother and sister had apparently stormed off to evaluate what further detruction or salvage could be had from their old home.

The single figure that was left caused her eyes to widen in surprise, however. Shifu stood in the center of the hall, regarding the cloaked figure closely. "You arrived far too late to have been part of the entourage for Lord Guiren or Lady Ruiling.." his bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and he cautiously moved into a ready stance. "Who are you, and what is your business here?"

It was Shifu's turn to recoil in surprise when she pushed back her hood, however. "I have business here as the youngest daughter of Morimotsuhitu, lord of the Valley of Peace," she responded, favoring the red panda with a smile that she hoped was only partially patronizing. It was just so GOOD to see her one-time adversary again. Shifu had always been so fun to torment when she was young and he was.. well.. younger, at least.

The old kung fu master cautiously approached her, still with a look of shock seizing his face. "Tao-hua? Can that really be you?"

She pulled the heavy, dust-encrusted cloak off of her shoulders, shaking it off gently before folding it and setting it aside. "We received the message several days ago, when the nightengale arrived. I feared that we would be far too late, but it seems that our timing is quite good.. wouldn't you say, Shifu?"

Shifu's startled expression sulked back into a guarded frown, and his large ears twitched as he glanced around the hall. "Where is Lord Morimotsuhitu, he did arrive with you, did he not?" Tao smiled more genuinely then, turning back towards the enclosed cart. "Of course he did. Do you honestly think I would leave without father?"

Shifu looked considerably relieved, watching the youngest daughter duck inside the carriage. He could hear her whisper something, and assumed that the by now aged warlord had fallen asleep on his long journey home. The poor old man must have been horribly cramped inside of that thing, he couldn't help but think.

He was badly startled when Tao-hua turned back around, holding an intricately painted urn tightly. Her eyes seemed distant, and were not focused on him as she spoke. "You see, Father? I told you that we would return home safely if I came with you."

Shifu darted forward quickly, even with his bad leg, and reverently touched the urn. "How long ago?" he asked, feeling quite ill at ease. Tao's eyes cleared, and she seemed surprised to see him suddenly so close. "Three years ago, roughly. He just... got old. Too old, and too tired. He didn't wake up one morning when I brought him his tea."

She cleared her throat a little before continuing. "He often spoke of wanting to come back here to be..." Tao's voice broke, and she concentrated on not crying. "He wanted to be here. This is the only place he ever wanted to be. And Oogway-"

"Oogway is gone, also."

Tao-hua's righteous indignation fled her like dragonflies before a rainstorm. "Oh. So.. that's it then." She paced briskly past Shifu, stopping to set the large urn she carried on the raised dias that surrounded the Dragon's Pearl Pool. She bowed, and whispered a promise for some incense before returning her gaze to the red panda. Her eyes clearly demanded "Now what?"

Shifu sighed, straightening the collar of his robe. "This is most unfortunate.. we had hoped to restore the Jade Palace to your father. Instead it seems we will be dividing up his estate. I will consult Master Oogway's journals. An eventuality like this must have been planned for."

Tao-hua nodded, and pointed to her cart. "There are many of father's papers among his possessions. Take whatever you need." With that, the tanunki turned and marched from the hallway solumnly. Shifu shook his head sadly as he bowed to the urn containing the ashes of the former master of the Jade Palace. Things had just become much more difficult.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: So the lord of the land has not survived his exile, and it will fall to one of his three adult children. Uh-oh. This doesn't bode well! Thanks to the reviewers so far: RenkonNairu, D.JStriker, and Kelev!

Chapter Five: What the Reunion Brought

Tao easily traced the source of her brother's growling to its source. She pushed open the door to the dimly-lit dining area, revealing Master Tigress and Guiren standing on either end of the ancient wooden table. Both were openly snarling at each other.

The other four kung-fu masters uneasily glanced back and forth between the two, clearly wanting to drag their leader away from this fight, but just as incensed as she about whatever had been said.

"It is outrageous that you barge in here and make demands! The Furious Five are NOT, nor will we ever be, your private army!" Tigress flashed her teeth as she spoke, and her long tail churned the air. Her opponent merely seemed to find her fury amusing. He crossed his thick arms and favored Tigress with a condescending smirk.

"No, you are FATHER's private army, and I intend to see to it that you are utilized in the manner most worthy to the.."

All conversation stopped as the large sun bear caught a glimpse of the newcomer in the doorway. He smirked openly at the disinterested little tanuki. "So... little Tao has returned as well, has she? What news do you and Father bring from your long exile?" Tao's bronze eyes narrowed appraisingly as she examined the room for herself.

Instead of answering his question, she purposefully strolled past him, heading for the teapot she spied on the other end of the table. A quick whiff to be sure of its' contents, and she was helping herself to the first cup of really, genuinely good tea that she'd had in years.

Guiren ground his teeth as he watched his still-obstinate little sister pointedly ignore him. Finally he could stand no more and slammed his fist down on the table, startling the Furious Five with his rage. His older sister merely scoffed and continued fanning herself. Perhaps she feared her makeup was going to slide off in the warm and cozy room. Guiren's voice was a low growl as he spoke. "Listen you little-"

Tao-hua's eyes, which had been closed in blissful enjoyment, snapped open abruptly. "Shut up, you insufferable, self-absorbed bore."

There was a table-wise double-take as the bear and the tanuki locked glares. Mantis made a slight, nervous sound and hopped up onto Monkey's shoulder. Tao finished her cup off as her brother stuttered in surprise. He'd never heard her speak up like that before. She carefully sat her cup down, and regarded each of her siblings in turn.

"Guiren, you're much the same as you ever were. Every bit as loud, obnoxious, and violently-inclined as ever, if the conversation I walked in on is any indication." Guiren scowled, easing back down onto the cushion behind him. It was impossible to note that he didn't deny the accusation.

Tao's eyes flicked to her older sister next. "And Ruiling.. you seem even more like yourself than I remember." The fox's false smile faltered, as she tried to piece together what exactly had been meant by that. She even stopped fanning herself with the effort of puzzling it out.

"You should both know that father is no longer with us," Tao continued, standing and pacing the small room. The older two exchanged glances at this news. "So I suppose we call all stop acting like we tolerate being in the same room with each other now, since we no longer have to do so for his sake." She paused, pointing a small dark hand at Guiren.

"Shifu is searching through Oogway and father's belongings, trying to determine if there is indeed a will. Personally, I have come back here only to fulfill my promise to father to see him safely home. I'm not interested in any of his money or treasures, so you two can feel free to go ahead and seize whatever wealth he's left you like the scheming vultures that I saw in your eyes the moment I told you of his passing."

The diminutive woman climbed suddenly onto the table, stalking down its' length towards her siblings. "But know this.. you will have nothing he has not allotted to you. Whatever father has left to his people shall REMAIN THEIRS so long as I have breath in my body." Satisfied that she'd made her point, Tao-hua stepped down from the low table, and exited the room.

It was the elder sister who responded first. "Apparently the years have not been... kind to our little sister, Guiren." The fox sniffed dismissively, preening a little before standing herself. "She seems to have become quite the angry little bitch over the past few decades."

Ruiling's sharp gold eyes narrowed and she smirked openly. "Father will, of course, have left ME the Jade Palace. It is, after all, my namesake."

Guiren rose to his feet again as well, crossing his arms and throwing a nasty grin over at the Furious Five. "Fine. All I want from father is a good company to fight with. The remaining army and this little kung-fu performance troupe should suffice well."

Crane and Monkey both grabbed Tigress' muscular arms as she attempted to leap on the bear. "You can't DO THAT!" she roared, teeth and claws bared. "We are NOT your army, nor are we your slaves!"

Guiren grinned, and she could see that the large, graying bear was missing a few jagged teeth. "You don't get it, do you? You are in the service of the Jade Palace, of the Valley of Peace.. which is part of the overlying domain of our father's lands. IT is subject to the will of its' lord. You serve at its descretion and direction. WE OWN YOU, you fool!"

Tigress slumped back against her comrades in shock. "No... Master Shifu would never allow.."

Guiren and his sister laughed. Unpleasantly. "Little girl, Shifu and Oogway both served my father. Don't believe for a moment that Shifu is not bound to our will as well."

With that, the two older siblings left the Furious Five as well. Tigress clenched a fist, and slowly let it fall to the table surface.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: This chapter is for Kelev! Thanks for reviewing!

Chapter Six: What the Dragon Warrior Discovered

Po felt rotten. He'd only been able to put up with a few snide comments from Lord Guiren and Lady Ruiling before he no longer trusted himself to stay in the room. Not because he was going to lose his temper like Tigress, but because he knew that at any second he could start to cry.

Don't cry, he reminded himself sternly. Kung fu warriors do NOT cry.

Upset and therefore hungry, but not wanting to stay inside the palace, he'd come back to the peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Once again, it was sprouting tiny buds, and a few pieces of fruit remained on its' branches. Master Shifu had told him that in all the years that he'd lived at the Jade Palace, only rarely had he seen the tree bare as it had been when Master Oogway had departed the mortal realm.

It was, to be sure, a tree. And still, it was something more than that. Something so far in tune with the special kind of magic that the highest peaks that surrounded the valley seemed to be full of, that it defied explanation. The Pool of Sacred Tears had a feeling of balance, of inner peace that was penetrating. The peach tree was much more subtle.

Reaching out towards the world beyond its perch, it directed the view outwards. Look out there, it seemed to whisper with a gentle rustle of leaves. Free yourself from thoughts close at hand, and look out there. See how big the world is, and how small the valley below. Po wiped his mouth carelessly with the back of his arm.

Perhaps that was the nature of wisdom, he thought. Seeing problems from a larger view. This mountain, this tree, they would all outlive him, but even they would eventually wear away and die. And yet the world would endure.

So what, he reasoned, if this famous Morimota-whatever guy's son and daughter had turned out to be such a bitter disappointment? Even though Master Shifu had warned them all about what they'd been like as children, everyone had assumed that they would have grown out of it. Clearly they hadn't.

He looked up from where he was preparing to chomp down on another ripe, juicy peach at the sound of footsteps. An unfamiliar figure stood watching him with great interest.

"Uhhhh.. hi?" he offered. Who the heck was this? A light went on in his head. Master Shifu had said that there were two daughters. Was this the younger one? The one the old red panda disliked so much he apparently couldn't even bring himself to say her name to them?

"Hello." She smiled weakly.

"Can I... do something for you?" he tried again, hesitantly. If her siblings were anything to go by, she might be as unpleasant as Master Shifu remembered.

"No.. I suspect not," she replied, stepping forward to join him at the edge of the cliff that was home to Oogway's favorite tree. "I'm only a visitor, and then I shall be gone soon enough. No one is going to be sorry to see me go, I suspect."

Po cocked his head to the side and frowned, studying his guest. From long experience in helping his father in choosing fabric that would be durable and wear well, he could tell that her clothes had been chosen more for longevity than style. Her traditional gown had abbreviated sleeves instead of the long ones favored by fashionable, wealthy types.

She seemed.. earthy to him. Grounded. The thick ruff of dark fur that lined the pale regions of her face and marked her cheeks was shot through with gray, and her eyes seemed tired. Like they'd seen too much, and had ceased caring to take it all in ages ago.

"See anything interesting?"

Po startled, frantically juggling his peach before dropping it messily over the side of the cliff. "Er.. wha?"

"You seemed to be involved in a thorough study of me," the tanuki replied, turning to face him. "I was just wondering if you saw anything interesting."

Po blinked. Here he'd been thinking that the lady was no longer observing the world, but she'd handily caught on to what he'd been doing without even sparing a glance in his direction. "Er.. yeah? I guess so. I was just thinking you seemed really.. sad."

The tanuki did look sad then, turning her attention upwards to the stars that were just beginning to push their way through the rapidly falling twilight. "I suppose I am. Take care of your loved ones, Panda. Appreciate what you have. Someday if you're lucky, there will be someone to mourn you, instead of you being left alone to mourn them."

"Your father? Lord Mori.. mora...mata-whata?" he guessed, blushing in embarrassment at the horrible mangling of the wardog's name. She nodded silently, not even bothering to correct him.

Po reached over to pull another peach off of the pile he'd gathered. "Geez.. that's depressing. I don't know what I'd do without my dad."

The two lapsed into silence for several long moments before he began to feel self-conscious. "Um.. here.." he held out a fruit with a bit of stem still attached to her, and noted that she brightened a little at the sight of it. "How did you know?" she asked. "Huh?" Po responded. Despite all the time he'd been sitting under the tree of wisdom, he found he felt incredibly unintelligent at the moment.

She turned the fruit over, revealing a small pink peach blossom still attached to the stem. "Nothing really.. it just seemed odd. You gave me a peach flower. Just like my father named me for.. Tao-hua." She carefully plucked the stem from the richly colored fruit.

Po grinned at the lady's more open expression. "Happy coincidence?" Tao chuckled softly, and placed the bit of stem so that it hooked around the top of her left ear. "I suppose so. Well goodnight then, Panda. I suspect we will not meet again." She stood and dusted off her robes, giving him a slight smile that touched her eyes just for a moment. For a few seconds, years fell away from her face.

Po stumbled awkwardly up to his feet as Tao turned to leave. "My name is Po! I'm.. uh.. well, I'm the Dragon Warrior.." he called out, "I'll remember you!"

The tanuki stopped in her tracks, looking back over her shoulder at him. Her face was once again blank, and she took a moment to reply. At first, Po feared that she was going to make a cruel comment about his qualifications or his weight, but she simply stared at him. Finally she nodded as though she was surprised at herself for not thinking of it herself.

One of her short, pointed ears flicked towards the palace, and Po could just make out the soft sound of Master Shifu's flute. It had a low, contemplative sound this evening, he thought. Tao brushed at her eyes with her sleeve, drawing his attention back to her. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior.. Po. I shall remember you, as well." Then she faced the palace again, and solumnly made her way towards the edifice.

The fading sunset painted the palace in rich shades of gold and crimson, which were rapidly fading into maroon and indigo. Po grabbed up a few pieces of fruit for the five. If they were as upset by their guests as he had been, they just might need a late-night snack as well.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: This is the shortest chapter yet (by a long shot!), so I'll be putting up a long one right after to make it up to you guys!

Kelev: You're welcome. Actually, Tao and her family left the Jade Palace before Tai Lung was found by Shifu, so she's never met him. She will undoubtably learn of him soon, though! Shifu's my fave, too. Yes, Morimotsuhitsu travelled from Japan as a young dog to seek his fortune. I'm hoping to give a little more background on him later. (Isn't his name horrible? XD)

D.JStriker: Thanks! Yeah, a sweetheart like Po is definitely in tune with what's going on emotionally with everyone around him.

Chapter Seven: What the Search Revealed

"Should we wake him up?"

A large pale ear twitched at the voice. Who was that talking?

"I don't know.. You sure he's not just meditating?" That sounded like Mantis.

"I don't think Master Shifu has ever snored in his meditation before, have you?" That might be Monkey.

"I snore in my meditation all the time!"

A sharp sound, like someone scaly smacking a large panda with their tail followed. That could only be Viper.

"I don't think I've ever heard Master Shifu snore, period." The new voice lowered to a sympathetic whisper. "Look at him though, he must be exhausted!" And.. could that be Tigress..?

Okay, this had gone far enough, were all his students watching him sleep? Shifu gave a groan and stirred. "And what, may I ask, are all of you doing in my room?" No one replied, which he had more or less anticipated.

What he had not prepared himself for was the sight, as he rubbed the hard-won sleep from his eyes, of the Hall of Heroes peeking accusingly from behind his concerned students. The mid-morning light informed him that he was several hours late waking up his class.Now Shifu was wide-awake.

His search had obviously taken longer than anticipated, but he had no memory of dozing off the previous night.

Po and the Five gave each other 'should we tell him?' looks and exchanged shrugs. He couldn't blame them. He had a feeling that if he could see himself just now, collapsed in an awkward heap over a pile of scrolls, he'd wonder where he'd gone wrong in life.

Tigress stepped forward, offering a bow. "Forgive me Master... but.. have you been here all night?"

Shifu raised himself unsteadily to his feet, noting new twinges and jabs of pain in his frame that he owed to sleeping on top of a pile of manuscripts. "So it would seem, Tigress." The old kung fu master sighed, rubbing the temples of his face with a groan.

"I have been searching for a documentation of the will of our late Lord Morimotsuhitu. I found nothing in Master Oogway's posessions, save a large amount of poetry."

Tigress blinked, and glanced back over her shoulder at the rest of the five. "Poetry, Master?"

Shifu pushed his hands back over his scalp, as if to banish the memory from his mind. "Poetry. Very, very much poetry. And none of it significant to anything, so far as I could tell, about what we should do about the children."

The red panda muttered something to himself about his late master's expansive collection of color-themed rhymes, which had apparently only been brought to an end with the failure to come up with counterparts for 'orange' or 'purple'.

Monkey leaned on his staff and gave a defeated sigh. "So, that's it then. We're going to be carted off to be the private army of that oversized goon." The six warriors all slumped in defeat.

Shifu gave a sharp bark of laughter, snatching up the document that he'd been sprawled on top of. "Not quite, my students!" It was impossible not to note the slightly bitter tone to the red panda's victorious declaration. "It seems that Lord Morimotsuhitu wrote Master Oogway a letter outlining some thoughts about his wishes for his children. It is unfinished, perhaps even just a rough draft, but it will serve our purposes."

Po looked back and forth between his master and comrades. They appeared as puzzled as he felt. "So.. what's wrong? It sounds like you're not too happy about it."

Shifu gave a sigh and a nod, rolling the scroll in his hands back up. "I am uncertain if the cure will prove to be worse than the ailment."

The Furious Five glanced at each other once more in confusion. Shifu straightened, and waved his students away before they all wore their necks out from all the staring back and forth. "Go and gather our three esteemed guests. We will read what amounts to Lord Morimotsuhito's will here in an hour."

The aged red panda reached for the flute that he sometimes used as a cane and made his way towards the Dragon's Pearl reflecting pool. He stood there, gazing thoughtfully at the thousand scrolls of kung fu that Oogway had left behind. He could only hope that he'd be able to preserve his late master's teachings properly now.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I promised you a long chapter, and here it is!

Chapter Eight: What Morimotsuhitsu Wished

"Get on with it, _Master_ Shifu," Guiren growled, drumming his fingers on one of the enormous, scarred pillars that held up the roof of the Hall of Heroes. Ruiling nodded her agreement, even as she kept her nose firmly pointed skyward. "Little Tao can have her own reading if she can't be bothered to show up on time for ours."

Shifu's blue eyes narrowed. He really, really hoped one of the five would return QUICKLY with Lady Tao-hua. He wasn't certain how much longer he could put up with these two alone. And he really... really... REALLY wasn't anxious to find out exactly when his breaking point would be.

The sound of running feet and flapping wings drew his attention, as the subjects of his wishful thinking burst back into the hall.

To his disappointment, each of the warriors gave him a brisk negative headshake in response to his inquiring look. Damn and double damn. And now Po was apparently missing as... well?

Speak of the devil, who but Po should chose that moment to wander into the Hall of Heroes, turned around backwards and rambling away a mile a minute to... Lady Tao-hua? If Shifu had not been thoroughly trained by a rather mischeivious old turtle to be prepared at all times for the unexpected, he'd have fallen into the floor at the shock.

Tao appeared, at first, to be disinterested in listening to the running narrative that Po was giving her of his life in his father's noodle shop. Shifu noticed though, that every so often she'd glance up in reaction to something that he'd said. Clearly, she was following his tale closely. Well, would wonders ever cease?

Tao strode past Shifu, ignoring his confused and put-out expression to place the urn containing her father's ashes on a short pedestal next to the one that held the recently repaired Urn of Whispering Warriors, and to light and mount the single stick of incense that she'd found. A quick bow, and she was backing away. She caught Shifu's eye as she straightened. "Get on with it, Shifu. Let the carrion beasts have their thrill."

Shifu bristled slightly. He'd been hoping that the reading would go much smoother than this, but clearly the gods had it out for him on this day. He spared a quick glare at Po, who'd merely paused his ongoing narrative about learning to roll pasta.

The panda quickly let out the preparatory breath that he'd drawn and grinned nervously at his master. Satisfied that he could begin, Shifu held up the single, thinly barred scroll that he had found.

"This letter, addressed to our late Master Oogway, discusses Lord Morimotsuhitsu's wishes for each of you." Guiren smirked. Ruiling preened. Tao-hua stared blankly at Shifu, looking utterly tired of all of them. "In other words, we will divide our late Lord's possessions here, in accordance to his last known intentions.

Each of you has been provided for thusly, using what he knew about your wishes and.. personalities. In addition to a specific inheritance named, I- in Master Oogway's stead- will present you with a gift of my choosing from the Jade Palace.. which yes, Lady Ruiling, is among the articles named. As is the army stationed at Chorh-Gom Prison."

If the grin on Guiren's face became any wider, Shifu thought, his head was going to split in two. The red panda unrolled the scroll, skipping past the jovial opening paragraphs from "Lord Morry", to the name 'Ruiling'.

"My oldest child, my daughter Ruiling," he intoned, trying to keep his voice neutral. "Well known to me is her love of the exorbant, well documented is her taste in accordance to the value of gold."

"I hear of my dear Ruiling's exploits in art and affluent circles often, and it warms my heart to know that she believes treasures should be preserved. At least it would if she had the slightest clue what made an antique and what made a trinket. From the last conservative estimation I overheard about her spending, I imagine she shall soon be quite hard up for currency."

Lady Ruilings face was flushed red in embarrassment, and she briskly fanned herself in an attempt to disguise her discomfort. Her brother snorted with laughter. "Wanna bet that Pop heard about you making the marriage circuit a career, too... or TRYING TO?!" Ruiling glared icily at Guiren, and leaned over to stomp on his foot.

Ignoring the disruption, Shifu continued. "To my eldest daughter then, I leave the thing she would value most. Currency." Ruiling's face brightened. "An allottment shall be made from my treasury, whatever is left of it, to ensure that my charming oldest girl shall be kept.." Shifu pretended to cough abruptly. He'd known this statement was coming, but he still couldn't quite get it out with a straight face.

"..Kept in the finest beginner entreprenural accomodations to be had in the capitol. Something small, with wheels should do. I trust that in time she shall learn to use her ability to bargain in a manner more befitting her station in life.. or that she will adjust her station accordingly."

Guiren burst out laughing as his sister's jaw dropped. Shifu pressed onwards. It was time to banish that grin from that obnoxious bear's face. "To my only son, Guiren, who I named for the qualities best befitting a nobleman. In many cities, I have heard of Guiren, son of Morimotsuhitu. The people fear him, as well they might if half the stories I hear are true."

"I fear that I have failed him the most, in my absense. He has not learned half of what makes a successful leader, and the only trait he shows any expertiese in is crushing the wills of those who oppose him. To teach him the true merit and honor of the battlefield, I leave him my farthest holdings, to do with as he will. I trust that in time, the snow shall cool his temper and the stone will teach him patience."

The kung fu master smiled a little then, as he looked up at the dumbfounded bear. "For a weapon is useless unless it has been tempered, and a target is without value until patience reveals the proper time AND the proper way to strike it. Guiren charged forward, snarling. Shifu dodged deftly to the side, letting the hotheaded bear fall into the reflecting pool.

"That," he observed dryly, "was not the right time." The fox and the bear exchanged feverish and damp glances, respectively. "But what about..!?" Shifu held up a hand for quiet. "I was just getting to that."

Tao-hua had not reacted the entire time Shifu had been reading. He wondered if that meant she was aware of what had been prepared by her father. Regardless, he picked up the scroll again. "To my youngest, Tao-hua, who is like my faithful shadow. My youngest child has much to learn. She has much to forget. I fear that I may have done her harm in allowing her to accompany me all these years, but I feared more to send her away."

"At first it was for her sake, but finally it was for mine. My youngest daughter, who has asked for nothing but my health and safety, who has cared for naught but the simplest things, I give exactly that. My smallest palace, my safest stronghold, my most elite guardians, and my best troops, to keep or dismiss as she will."

"My good friend Oogway, if you could but guide her in the days ahead, I am confident that she shall understand why the Jade Palace was always my favorite in my lands. As I told you that summer's day when you 'surrendered' by my so-called invasion of one, my heart is always there. The rest should be returned to our Emporer, with my great thanks for his many kindnesses."

Ruiling and Guiren cried out in protest. Shifu re-rolled the scroll, ignoring thier complaints, and the voice in the back of his head warning that the seeming less of the available evils might not be so minor after all. If Tao was anything like she'd been as a child, she'd still be an unholy terror. Speaking of Tao, she had still not responded to the news of her inheritance. Finally Ruiling could stand it no more and stormed over to her sister. "You planned this!" the fox accused. "That's why you insisted on going with father! You intended to leave us out in the cold all along!"

Tao stared up in a sort of bored curiosity at her sister. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Ruiling." The older woman gave a cry of rage, and attempted to slap the tanuki, who flattened her ears and made to draw a decorative fan in defense. Before the blow could land, Mantis leapt forward, using his incredible strength to deflect the strike. "Whoa whoa whoa! Let's all just cool off here!" He gave a guilty twitch at the sight of Guiren, soaked through his fur and VERY unamused, looming behind his sister.

"Lady Tao-hua.." Shifu prodded cautiously, you seem non-plussed by the proceedings." Tao startled. "I'm sorry... did you say something, Shifu? I think I've been lost in thought for the past few minutes." The red panda's brow furrowed slightly. "Then... you did not hear that you are to take possession of the Jade Palace and the lands within the Valley of Peace?"

Tao grimaced. "What am I supposed to do with all that?!" Shifu pinched the bridge of his nose and murmured a quick prayer for some of the patience of his own as Mantis tried to quickly brief her on what she'd missed while she'd been daydreaming.

Lady Ruiling suddenly spoke up. "Wait, didn't father say you were also to bestow some sort of gifts upon each of us, Master Shifu?" You could practically taste the bitter honey that the ex-socialite poured into the syllables of his name. Shifu discerned that the patience he'd asked for was on backorder and that he was at the very bottom of the waiting list for a new shipment.

"Very well." He glanced around the Hall of Heroes, searching for inspiration. "You, Lady Ruiling, will receive the invaluable Invisible Trident of Destiny." He pointed half-dramatically/half in frustration at the empty-appearing display. Ruiling rushed over to the shrine, only to stop short at the vacant-seeming rack. "What sort of mockery is this?" she cried, whirling back to face Shifu.

The loud clatter that sounded a moment later as her outflung hand knocked the trident from its perch startled everyone except the small kung fu grandmaster. Tao-hua grinned wickedly. "I wonder who would buy an invisible stick from a travelling caravan?" she wondered aloud. Mantis looked nervous and abandoned his perch on Lady Tao-hua's shoulder.

"Oh bother," Shifu muttered absently. "best start looking for it. I suspect it will be difficult to find." Lady Ruiling hyperventillated for a moment at the humiliation before collecting herself. She drew up her long, stylish skirts and huffed in exasperation. "I've never been so insulted in all my life!" she cried, pointing her finger at Shifu and her own bemused sister in turn.

With that, she pointed her nose firmly back into the air and stormed out the doors to the great hall. "Have my things sent to me. I'm going HOME!" The last glimpse any of them had of her, the vixen was screaming orders at her panicked workers and a few palace geese.

Shifu smiled inwardly. The Trident was not truly invisible. Not to someone who knew how to see it. But that required a trained eye and a little intuition. As her father had noted, Ruiling had neither when it came to antiques. One down.

Guiren glared down at him. Oh, this wasn't going to be easy. Or wait.. would it? His eyes flicked around the room, pausing briefly on Tao, who was grinning that evil grin he recalled QUITE well from his early days of training.

It was the sort of look that almost always meant that Oogway had been encouraging her to throw things at Shifu's large ears while he attempted to balance on the training posts. "Give him the Urn of Whispering Warriors. I seem to recall that it's cursed." Guiren growled at his little sister. "You DID want an army, brother.." she reminded him.

It was a very tempting thought, but Zeng had only recently completed the task of repairing the urn after Po had accidentally broken it, and Shifu had a feeling that the Tenshu army's remaining wandering souls would be cursing HIM if he let the thing be taken from its resting place. He pointed to a suit of heavy armor across the hall. "You Lord Guiren, will receive Master Flying Rhino's battle armor. May it serve you as well as it did him."

He could tell Guiren wasn't quite buying it, but that he wasn't able to figure out what the joke or catch was. Shifu didn't much care, though. The damned suit of armor was a huge pain to keep polished, anyway. Perhaps feeling the heavy burden of a real warrior, albeit a headstrong and reckless one as Master Flying Rhino had been, would do the disgruntled bear some good.

"Fine," Guiren rumbled, "You may have it ready to send with my things when I'm prepared to leave." With that, the large sun bear stalked angrily out of the large double doors. Two down.

This last one, Shifu had to admit, was giving him some trouble. Finally, he crossed the floor himself and retrieved the larger part of Master Oogway's staff. Feeling more than a little sick at heart for parting with this momento of his later master, Shifu slowly made his way back over to Tao-hua. When he looked up to address her, he realized that she was studying him intently.

"Shifu. You're limping. What happened to you?"

Shifu's ears twitched back uncomfortably. He had no wish to discuss his failure with Tai Lung with her, even if it no longer tormented him so fiercely. "Just an old injury, from an old mistake," he shrugged, holding the staff out to the tanuki. She placed a hand on top of his, and pushed the staff gently back towards him. "Keep it," she advised. "You need a walking stick more than I do, old man."

Shifu gaped openly at Tao-hua as she brushed past him to approach the reflecting pool. That smart alecky little.. He ground his teeth an annoyance and hoped she'd fall in the pool like her brother had. To his intense annoyance, she didn't. To his greater annoyance, his students were stifling snickers. "What are you all still standing around here for!?" he demanded, shooing them out the door. "Get to your training or I'll have you all doing relays up the thousand steps!"


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Somehow, I doubt anyone seriously thought that Ruiling or Guiren would be inheriting the Jade Palace, but that was a fun will to read, wasn't it?

Kelev: That's what she'd like to know, too!

RenkonNairu: Wow, thank you! Actually I'm an art major with some interest in history and literature, maybe that helps me a little.

Chapter Nine: What's in a Name?

Well, Po reflected as he faced Master Viper in the training room, that was Master Shifu for you. The village was in a shambles, the Jade Palace itself was in distinct need of repair, and none of them had eaten breakfast yet, but come hades or high water they were each going to do their morning practice before anything else.

Even if said morning practice was practically taking place at midday.

Yes, that was definitely Master Shifu for you.

Viper laughed, feinting this way and that before twirling him up into the air and knocking him into the wall. A fine shower of debris rained down on the disoriented Panda as he quickly scrambled away from the damaged section of the structure.

Viper's long, flexible body and unpredictable movements meant that she was the master who had the easiest time deflecting or outright avoiding Po's dangerous panda-style of kung fu. Especially the calculated and careful way that the Dragon Warrior flailed, yelped, crashed into things and bounced off of his sparring partner. Which was all, he felt compelled to remind them every so often, completely and utterly planned.

Po himself was taking quite a beating from both the overzealous snake and the structure of the training hall, itself.

"Geez Viper! Take it easy! We don't want to make the damage worse!" Viper giggled, dodging around the sweeping kick that he sent her way to leap up on his head and wrap around his face, effectively blinding him. "You're the one who crashed into it!"

Po tugged at her coils, managing to sputter out "Because you smacked me!" before he overbalanced and fell over. Viper chuckled, and slid easily off of him. "If you'd dodged, it wouldn't have mattered! Anyway, why are you being so formal? You know you can just call me Lian." She pointed to the small lotus flowers adoring her head with her tail while giving the panda a meaningful mock-glare.

"Come on Po, do you know how long it's been since any of us got to use our real names?"

Crane, or rather An, alighted next to the panda, reaching out a wing to help the bear to his feet. "Guys, just remember.. NOT in front of Master Shifu." Viper nodded, rolling her eyes at the reminder. The panda shot a mystified look in Crane's direction, while attempting to still keep an eye on his partner. Crane decided to have a little mercy on the curious Po before Lian grew bored and tried a new sneak attack.

"Master Shifu was always most insistant that the names of his students be left at the gate." The tall bird stooped down, and gave the two others his best Shifu impersonation. "From this day forth, you have ceased to be An. You are now just Crane. When you have mastered kung fu, you will be Master Crane. No other names will you answer to."

An grinned and bowed as the other Masters applauded lightly. "But then along came Po!" he concluded with a laugh. Po flicked some dust from his thick fur as he pondered this. "I don't get it, why would Shifu take away your names?"

Tigress vaulted down from the ceiling, where she'd been awaiting Crane's return to their sparring match. "I imagine it's because he didn't want to get too attached to us. Like he did with..." Tigress' voice trailed off looking pensive for a moment, but shook it off with an unsettling abruptness.

"Perhaps," she continued, "he would have found it easier to have accepted that 'Leopard' betrayed him, rather than Tai Lung."

Lian straightened, eyeing the panda cautiously. She'd discovered he was no stranger to the art of the sneak attack, either.

"Names have magic, Po. Powerful magic. They can be descriptors, invokers, and even holders of destiny. Master Shifu named the child he found 'Great Dragon', because he saw great power in him and knew that Oogway had foretold that he would train the Dragon Warrior someday... and you saw what happened when that didn't come to pass."

"Being suddenly denied the destiny he was supposed to have been given drove Tai Lung mad." The snake shook her head sadly, her green eyes full of actual pity for the enormous snow leopard who'd nearly killed them all.

"Without that destiny, he felt his name was meaningless. And if your name is meaningless, how hard could it be to conclude that your life is, as well?"

Po frowned. "How do you know all this, Vi- I mean, Lian?" The snake glanced up and gave the panda a soft laugh that held absolutely no humor. "He mentioned, when he sent An back with the rest of us, that he was coming to reclaim his name."

She looped a few coils to give the impression of shrugged shoulders. "Going from that, it wasn't too hard to figure out."

The Furious Five collectively lowered their heads in both remembrance and not a little shame of the beating they'd taken from the snow leopard. The memory of the massive cat's victory, which he'd dubbed 'all too easy' was not something that they were recovering from well. The five were legendary warriors, and not just in the minds of young children and hopeless fanboys. As a team they had never been defeated in battle. Ever.

Until now, that is.

Serious-minded Tigress seemed to take it as an especially personal affront to have been reduced to a helpless example of the enormous cat's power. Almost as though she'd have rather been killed in battle than suffer the humilation of being helpless as a newborn cub and sent back to her master to shame his training of her as well.

She'd thrown herself into training at every opportunity that presented itself as if it were her last chance to prove something. Perhaps to herself, or maybe it was to the rest of them; as their leader.

The panda looked around at his solumn comrades, trying to think of a way to cleanse the depressing atmosphere that had settled over them all at the mention of Shifu's former student. His green eyes fell on a certain female teammate, and he grinned suddenly. "Speaking of names, you still haven't told me YOUR name yet, Tigress!"

The big cat leapt suddenly through the air, landing on the panda's shoulders and sending him rolling back through the large double doors that guarded the training hall. The panda groaned dizzily, too disoriented to protest when about three of Tigress leaned over him.

"Because YOU haven't managed to beat me in a match yet. Defeat me, and you'll find out my proper name." All three of her flashed Po a toothy grin before vanishing from his line of sight.

"I gotta learn to stop provoking her," Po grumbled, staggering back into an upright position.

"Indeed."

Po yelped as he suddenly discerned Master Shifu glowering at him. The Furious Five had all snapped to attention, ready for whatever mission he had prepared for them. The Dragon Warrior had the distinct feeling that he'd been set up. The panda shot an annoyed glare at Tigress, who merely smirked in response.

"Very well, my students.." Shifu sighed, apparently resigning himself anew to the fact that Po was just plain impossible to corral in the manner to which a kung fu master was accustomed. "Let us all clean up a bit and have our meal, then we shall begin..." he gestured sorrowfully at the Jade Palace and its' battered grounds "..sorting all this out."

The six masters each bowed to him, murmuring assenting "Yes, Master Shifu" in chorus before heading back to the bunkhouse. The midday calm was shattered as soon as they were out of the red panda's sight by the sound of Monkey shouting "PO GETS A BATH FIRST!" and cackling as a tremendous crashing sound, much like a large fat bear charging after a much smaller and agile animal broke out.

"That's not funny, Chen!" Po roared, chasing the other master all the way back down the trail, through most of the obstacle course in the training room, around the still-stationary Shifu twice, and then back up the trail they'd come from.

Shifu sighed, and shook his head. "Sometimes Oogway, my master... I question your ways."

--

"Do you know why you failed?" An old voice, one that carried both wisdom and whimsy, echoed in the mists. The owner looked peacefully curious as he regarded his guest. He would like to know, but he could be content in not knowing. Either option was just as acceptable.

"Because you and your insane pupils stood in my way." The response was a low, almost-feral growl. A sound like distant thunder echoing off of the high peaks that bordered the Valley of Peace and signalled the coming of the spring rains.

"I would have annihilated them," the new voice snarled anew, "down to the last splinter, the last speck. They would all have been destroyed."

"How fortunate then, Tai Lung, that you did not succeed. I am rather fond of those people, and that Valley. I would think you would hold some fond memories of both, as well."

"You would THINK about me? Old man, you have NEVER thought about me! You have never even begun to conceive of considering even for a moment, of anything about me!"

"On the contrary, young warrior.. I have thought about you a great deal. Ever since Shifu brought you inside the gates and rushed to show you off to anyone who'd stand still long enough to look. Ever since he gave you that fateful name. Ever since you learned to stand, to kick, to fight... I have thought about you."

"Then WHY-!?"

"It is _because_ I thought about you. That is exactly the reason why. From the beginning, there was always a darkness that played in your eyes, Tai Lung. Barely perceptible at first, but in time it grew. And given an outlet to latch onto, a dangerous desire to be lusted after, it consumed you."

A few peach blossom petals fluttered past Tai Lung's face, and he irritably swatted them out of his whiskers.

"You believe you are being punished," Master Oogway continued, blithely uncaring about the leopard's annoyance or the flowers. "but Shifu is the one who has truly suffered for your fate." The ancient terrapin's eyes flicked open fully, silencing the objection that was ready to leap from Tai Lung's throat.

"He sorrows for you. The love and responsibility he had for you will not let him do otherwise. He still holds on to that illusion of control. 'If only I had tried harder', he thinks, 'I could have been more patient or more discerning, and my student could have been spared the folly of my hubris.' And he nearly let it devour his heart as greed devoured yours."

Oogway's half-lidded eyes regarded the distance with a saddened gaze. "Greed is a dangerous thing. It crawls up inside the spirit and builds a prickly nest in the heart. It whispers half-truths and lies, and it uses until it destroys us. It is much the same with pride. Your greed and Shifu's pride. You are both simultaneously completely at fault and solely innocent." He gave a soft, whispy sigh and turned back to the apprentice master who glowered and lashed his tail.

"You could have turned away from the path you chose at any time, had you the strength of will or the character of mind to do so. An overly-enthusiastic parent does not make a problem child. A problem child exploits the opportunities and leeway given by an overly-enthusiastic parent." A faint smile touched the great master's face as he regarded his audience.

"You don't believe it? Then tell me, Tai Lung, why is it that you wished to be the Dragon Warrior? Is it purely to safeguard the Valley of Peace, or because you wanted the power and fame? Leave Shifu out of the question in your mind and answer honestly."

The snow leopard's thick brow furrowed in rebellious thought. Clearly he knew the answer that was expected of him... and knew it to be true. He simply could not accept that the two were mutally-exclusive concepts, let alone acknowledge that he could have been wrong.

His silence didn't matter. Oogway could see the answer as plainly on the cat's face as if it had been drawn on with a calligraphy brush.

"Had you wanted it for the right reasons, you would not have turned so fully. If you had wanted to protect the valley, you would not have raised your hand to it's people. Your anger and jealousy cripple you. They blind you. What you see as strength is in fact an enormous liability and weakness."

The leopard's face snapped upwards with a barely-contained defiant roar. Outrage poured from every single hair on the muscular cat's body, filling the atmosphere with electric tension.

"You see?" Oogway sighed with a nod at the display. "Accepting constructive criticism has never been something you've taken well to. True strength comes from acknowledging your flaws, and learning how to compensate for them. To do otherwise.. invites self-destruction. Even the weakest twig can help build a strong dam if it's used properly, but if you do not take care, the entire thing can wash away."

A mischievous grin played at the edges of the tortoise's mouth as the large cat's shoulders slumped a little. "Now then... if you're quite done with your tantrum, perhaps you'd like to know just exactly where you are?"

Tai Lung's ears braced back against his skull. This was something that he had dreaded finding out. "Am I dead..?"

Oogway did laugh then, gently. "No no no... not dead. Hold out your hand, young one." Confused and resentful, but still curious, Tai Lung did as he was asked, reaching a hand out. Oogway responded in kind, and the leopard yelped in shock when the others hand went fully through his own. For the first time, he noticed that the flower petals the swirled past them continued straight on through the old man.

Eyes wide with more than a little fear, he faced the spectral form of Oogway. The latter grinned patiently at him. "You're simply a bit... misplaced."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: RenkonNairu: Bwaha! Yeah, Tai Lung has a part to play eventually in this. I can't believe how long this story has gotten already..! Believe me, I agonized a lot over the decision to claim names for the five. Names have a special part in this story, and I find it a bit awkward to keep referring to someone totally by species. I'm going to defer to their 'canon' names 85-90 of the time, but their "real" names are there to help show sincerity when the young masters are alone. Hopefully I won't overdo it with them.

--

Chapter 10: What Was Left Behind

Tao-hua felt the urge to smile at Zeng as he bustled her through the heavy doors that the palace geese had just opened for her. She couldn't help but feel a sort of double-vision as she looked around the ornate hallways in the bright daylight, seeing everything both from the perspective of an adult, and that of the ten year old girl who last looked on them.

"We come in and make certain everything's secure, of course," Zeng continued, totally oblivious to the fact that she was barely listening to a word that he said. "But Master Oogway was always very insistant that things be left exactly as they were. He himself didn't even enter!"

Tao glanced up at that. She'd never considered the notion that Master Oogway, mystifying ancient creature that he was, would stand so formally on ceremony as to declare the inner sanctum of the palace off-limits to both his students and himself. "Never?" she asked, startled.

"Oh no! No! He said that the Hall of Heroes was the extent of how far he would intrude into the palace, because that was the monument your father set aside for him. He used to come and stand at the door every so often, but that's it. We'd offer to crack it open a bit for him, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"He said that the new training and housing grounds were plenty for him, and that he just liked talking to the doors to see what they remembered about the things they'd seen. You know, he always was an odd fellow. Pleasant as he could be, but odd.."

The goose continued his running commentary of things that the old tortoise had done that were a bit off, and Tao chuckled a little at the ones that were especially outlandish. Zeng, may the gods bless him, was much as she remembered his father being, right down to the yellow robes that spoke of close ties to the Imperial court.

Zeng hadn't actually been a messenger of the Emperor himself, but his father had been. And clearly when the older man had become unable to serve as the offical Jade Palace messenger, the son had taken on the duty and the wardrobe. And perhaps some of the peculiarity, as well.

That warm thought held her all the way past the audience chamber, through the enclosed garden, and into the long hallway that held the family's private rooms. Then, aided by Zeng's nervous whisper that her brother was still clearing things from his own room, it fled and she paused. Dismissing the escort, she continued on alone past her old room.

Ruiling's door was a little ajar, and she noted, the room itself had been absolutely gutted for anything of value and left for salvage by the servants. Undoubtably it happened in the frantic surge to gather the vixens belongings when she demanded to leave. Guiren's door was shut, but the sound of heavy footsteps and shuffling items confirmed that he was indeed still present. And beyond that...

She stopped, and reached out to touch the door at the end of the hallway. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and opened it. She couldn't move for a moment, but finally she forced herself to face her fear. She looked around with teary eyes, uncertain of whether to feel sorrow or relief. Her father's room was just as he'd left it.

She crept slowly inside, wringing her hands and trying to work the horrible lump out of her throat. It was like stepping back in time. At any moment, her father could easily walk in, scoop her childish form up effortlessly and pretend to interrogate her for intruding into his sanctuary. She discerned one of his slippers poking out from under a corner of his intricately carved, box-shaped bed, and forced herself not to run from the room.

It was just as she'd feared. Coming back to this place, after all this time, brought it all back to her. She sat down on the bed, doing her best not to notice the few long white hairs that were still clinging to the pillow as she played with the thick drape that hung over the side. All of his paintings, the knicknacks and momentos of his life still littered the place. The pair of reading glasses that he'd forgotten still waited patiently on the footrest beside the bed. The rich reds and golds of the room threatened to over power her with memories of a time she'd give almost anything to return to.

Tao forced herself to take a few deep, shuddering breaths. It would have been better, she thought, to not have come back. Or at least, not to have accepted the letter of her father's as his will. She almost wished that Ruiling had ransacked this room as well. If it didn't look exactly the same, then perhaps she wouldn't feel as if she were losing her father all over again.

All the pain that had been pushed to the farthest closet in the back of her mind was free now to come tumbling out.

"Why did you leave me this place?" she whispered, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "This stopped being my home thirty three years ago. I told you that myself! Why would you insist that I stay here?"

"He was probably afraid you'd lose your mind and start talking to yourself if he left you alone out there."

Tao whirled back to face the door, and took a step back in spite of herself. Guiren stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

"You shouldn't be here, Tao-hua."

Indignation forced her to growl in response. "Why not?"

The sun bear smirked openly at her. "All this.. and you're just going to waste it. It seems our father still enjoys his little jokes. He spends a lifetime conquering and collecting.. and then he just throws it away on you." He eyed her critically, and Tao fought the urge to feel self-conscious about her appearance.

"Have your falling-down palace and your bandaged-up guard, sister. Have your insignificant little puddle of a town and your patchwork bodyguard troupe. Have it all for now. Only time will tell if you are able to keep it."

Tao's shock gave way to outrage, and she stalked over to stand in front of the bear who had towered over her since her very first memory.

"Perhaps father just didn't want it falling to the likes of YOU, brother." She crossed her arms. "You should leave. Now. You are no longer welcome in MY Jade Palace."

Guiren seemed genuinely amused, even going as far as to bow to her. "Of course, LADY Tao-hua. As you wish." He straightened and directed the nervous Zeng, who'd lingered at the end of the hallway waiting for her, to call for his men.

"I've seen everything here that I need to see," the bear murmured, stomping back down the hallway to exit their childhood home.

"Likewise," Tao whispered, tightening her grip on the laquered fan hidden in her sleeve. She closed the door as she left, and frowned purposefully at the guards in her brother's employ that were coming to take away the items he'd deemed fit to keep.

Perhaps she'd seen her father's purpose after all. This valley and its citizens had once brought her father tremendous joy. There was no way that she couldn't try and do something to preserve that.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: RenkonNairu: Never even occurred to me to call you out on that. I actually think Tai Lung calling her Red is pretty endearing. :) I'm actually glad of the feedback on it, keeps me honest about why I'm doing things.

Guiren will be trouble in the future, that's for sure. The question is when and how? Tao's got a long way to go before she can truly call herself Lord of the Valley of Peace. I'm glad you're enjoying her development so far. I've got a link to a pic of her in my profile, if you'd like to see what she looks like.

--

Chapter Eleven: What Happened at Dinner

"Hey, you're late!" Crane cried, clearing a space for the small mantis to land on the table. Mantis laughed, reaching for the bowl of soup that had been pushed over to him. "Hey, some of us like to actually get clean instead of just splashing the water around and then running off for Po's cooking!"

An fluffed up his still-damp feathers a bit. "Feathers are notoriously hard to clean, you know. Splashing is just about the only thorough way to do it." Chen chuckled, and the mischievious monkey leaned over to pop a particularly large soap bubble that had revealed itself in the bird's wing. "Yeah? Well you need to practice thoroughly RINSING."

Po laughed along with his friends as he doled out more bowls of soup for his friends. "Hey, there's plenty for everybody, despite what Tigress says about me eating all the leftovers." He pointedly dropped another ladle-full in Tigress' nearly-empty bowl, startling her. "Really?" the tiger grinned, "I swear I couldn't tell it." She poked him lightly in the stomach, and he pretended to use his patented 'Iron Belly' move on her.

"Hey, let me tell you a secret that my dad told me once about cooking.."

An looked up from smoothing his feathers. "Is it the secret ingredient?" Po rolled his eyes. "Noooo... it's something just a little more profound than that. Dad says you never want to trust a skinny cook. You know why?"

Blank but intrigued expressions faced him. The panda grinned. "Because a good chef always tastes his food before serving it. And a chef who IS any good should make food good enough that he wants to check it often."

The bear turned back to his bubbling pot, and added a few more slices of turnip to the broth, giving his knife a quick flourish as he finished. "If you see a cook who you don't suspect of raiding his own dishes as snacks regularly, then you should know right off that his cooking just ain't worth it!" Po swung his hips a little for emphasis, drawing a few snickers from the group seated at the table.

The panda filled his own bowl and turned to seat himself, but glanced up at the sound of the door opening. "Oh hey! You came after all! You're in for a serious treat!" The Furious Five all froze at the sight of Lady Tao-hua, hesitating in the doorway. She looked a bit lost and indecisive, almost as if she'd seen or done something that she wasn't comfortable with. "Come on in, come on!" Po enthused, pulling a chair out from the table in invitation.

The tanuki took only the smallest of steps forward, and the panda finally took it upon himself to cross the room, taking her hand to guide her to the seat he'd readied. "Okay, prepare for the most awesome taste you've ever experienced!" Po declared, pushing her up to the table and presenting her with a spoon as though it were a mystical implement to unlock a fantastic adventure.

The five shot each other anxious looks as Lady Tao regarded the bowl in front of her. "Uh... Po... perhaps Lady Tao-hua would prefer to dine alone.. on something a little more.. refined?" Lian suggested nervously. Po shot her a dirty look. "More refined than Secret Ingredient Soup? You gotta be kidding!" The snake glanced at her fellows, who all pointedly refused to take up the cause of helping her out. "Maybe the chef would.."

"Oh he quit."

"He QUIT!?" the five chorused in shock. Po shrugged. "Yeah, apparently the last straw was when I told him Lady Tao was going to try my soup." The panda grinned nervously. "He said that's all anyone wants to eat around here anymore, and he didn't have to stand for it." Tigress groaned, facepalming. "Oh that's great.. that's just.."

"This really IS great."

The five all stared in shocked silence at Tao, who blinked incredulously in response. "I find it to be quite good. You really were right after all, Po." she nodded to him in satisfaction, causing the panda to grin hugely in triumph as he settled into the remaining seat. "Oh you think THIS is great, you haven't seen nothing yet! I've got this idea for a... a sort of stew... and.."

The kitchen door abruptly swung open again, and Shifu stalked into the room. The red panda paused in surprise when he saw that his own seat had been taken by the tanuki he'd been hoping to get through the rest of the day without seeing, then side-tracked pointedly to the seat that Po hastily vacated.

"Shifu, you're such a bully.." Tao murmured, stirring her soup a little. Shifu's large ears flicked fully erect, then slowly slid back until they laid nearly flat against his skull. "Bully, am I? I'm not the one who invited myself to sit in someone else's seat!" Tao looked up at him with a smirk.

"Aren't you?" she asked, indicated his position at the table with a wave of her hand.

Shifu fumed silently, barely reacting to the bowl of steaming hot noodle soup that Po gingerly placed before him. "Shouldn't you be off in the dining hall, being seen to by chef Cai?"

Tao returned her gaze to her own bowl before replying. "I hear he has recently quit." She fought the urge to snicker at Shifu's "Gods, what have I done to displease you?" expression that he shot at the ceiling like a marksman's arrow.

"And at any rate, I was invited to try your dragon warrior's excellent cooking. Besides the fact.." the tanuki slowly and deliberately stood, glowering openly at the red panda. "I am now master of the Jade Palace, and I assure you Shifu... I shall go wherever I wish within its' walls."

Shifu growled and stood as well, ignoring his food. "No, let me assure YOU, _Lady_ Tao-hua... I will tolerate none of your usual disruptions. I will put up with no antics as we repair the Jade Palace today."

The Furious Five abandoned all pretense at dining to vacate the table. The tension in the air was thicker than Po's hand-rolled noodle dough. Tao walked over to jab a finger at the kung fu master. "You will not be repairing the Jade Palace today, Shifu." Shifu bristled, and matched her angry stance with one of his own. "Oh won't we? And why is that?"

Tao grabbed his arm, and physically pulled him from the room behind her. The six masters quickly followed, catching up to the two as Tao dragged Shifu to the top of the thousand steps and pointed down into the village below. "The people need their homes more than the palace needs cosmetic work! The roads need reconstruction more than we need a roof when the rainy season is months away!"

Shifu snatched his arm away from Tao, and growled at her. "We will see to the people when the palace is-" Tao bared her teeth and loomed into his personal space. "We have walls and most of a roof! From what I saw in town as I entered, there are people down there with nothing!" The red panda and the tanuki stood nose to nose, snarling in each others' faces for several tense moments before Tao broke his gaze.

"Do as you will, Shifu. But I will see to it that my people have shelter if I have to bring them all up here and house them in the Hall of Heroes to do it!" With that, the tanuki began gingerly making her way down the mangled stone staircase. Shifu growled in reply. "Suddenly they are YOUR people when you have not seen them for nearly thirty-five years? We have protected them all that time, and they are our people more than yours!"

Tao paused, but didn't look back as she replied. "And yet I am more concerned about their welfare than you? How tragic. I wonder how you live without a conscience, Shifu."

The small grandmaster physically recoiled from that accusation, then he set his jaw determinedly and began trailing her down the steps. "I AM concerned, Tao-hua! I am concerned enough that I trained the furious five to protect them! I have trained the dragon warrior to defeat the great evil that threatened to extinguish all life in the Valley of Peace! I have taken over in Master Oogway's stead to safeguard their well-being from the threat of invasion!"

His blue eyes narrowed down to slits as he faced her. "And NOW I am apparently entrusted with keeping an eye on you, while taking care of their needs! The Jade Palace is looked to with pride by all the valley, its condition and sanctity is tantamount to the emotional well-being of all who dwell here!"

Tao leveled her bronzed glare to the red panda before responding. "There is something you learn on the run, Shifu. Something that the inhospitable streets teach those who dwell there. Pride does not keep you warm at night, nor does it shelter you from the sun or wind. It does not feed you or dress your wounds. My father, the emperor's greatest warlord, died in a hovel in a state tantamount to poverty. I will see no one else in my charge do so."

It was apparent that her words had hit home, from the way Shifu's grim expression had turned indecisive. Finally, as much as it obviously pained him to agree with her, he glared up at the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. "Fine! All of you! Into the village and begin evaluating the needs of the villagers. Anyone who has room and a sturdy house should take in whoever they can." He turned to face the village below, and clasped his hands behind his back.

Even with this change of opinion, his posture made it clear that he was unwilling to concede that this had not been his plan all along. "Anyone who has no shelter and cannot be housed otherwise... bring back here." The six masters saluted with a bow, and leapt off down the thousand steps.

Tao-hua and Shifu watched them go silently for a moment before the new lord of the Valley of Peace drew closer to her adversary, reaching out to tug gently on the trailing ponytail on the back of his head. "Thank you, Shifu." she murmured with a smile. The red panda grumbled in response, refusing to move until she'd returned inside the palace and left him in peace.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: This chapter's dedicated to RenkonNairu, who's reviewed every single chapter so far and has been asking for more Tai Lung. It's also the longest one yet, so make of that what you will. XD

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Chapter Twelve: What Lies Within

"You need to let it go."

"Easy for you to say," the leopard grumbled in return.

"Yes, it is. Watch now, I'll say it again. You need to let it go," Oogway repeated, refusing to be intimidated by someone who couldn't even touch him while he had been alive. "Let your anger go, and the answers will come to you."

"YOU are not my master, old man!" Tai Lung roared, stopping his intense pacing of the foggy landscape. "You do not direct me! This is all your fault, anyway.." he grumbled under his breath.

Oogway's soft laugh informed the other that he'd heard anyway. "I put you here then, did I? No, Tai Lung. You did that. I thought we'd already been through this..?" he trailed off introspectively, a look of curiousity on his face. "Well it doesn't matter. Here is where you are, and you cannot know where you are until you stop not thinking about it."

"Do you even listen to yourself, you senile old coot?" the leopard cried, "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, and I've been hearing you talk about it for what seems like forever!"

"Aha! And there is your first clue!" Oogway whispered, his wizened face shining with delight. "Where do you think you are, Tai Lung?"

The leopard growled, resuming his path of stalking up and down the featureless pale landscape of swirling clouds. "I don't know! I've already told you that! If I'm not dead, but you are, and I'm where you are.." He paused to swipe his claws at a fluffy mound of cumulous. "I just don't know!"

Oogway's cheerful face fell. "Well then, it seems we are at an impasse." He straightened his ghostly clothing, and gestured to the filmy, translucent world around them.

"You've been here before, you know. We all come here when we dream. And if your soul is truly at peace, you may discover yourself here when you finally pass on. You, my angry young one, have discovered what happens when someone uses the Wuxi finger hold on you. Your bodies' energies have been inverted, and you've been blown clear into the Astral Plane."

The ancient one hmmmmed thoughtfully to himself. "And with your level of energy, I imagine the implosion was most impressive. Yes, it may have even caused a good reversal! Tsk... that move can be so messy if it's done right.. Or if it's done wrong, for that matter! But you're here, and you're not dead, so it must have been done right."

Tai Lung's grey face paled. "You're joking... You've got to be joking! If that's true, then I'm already as good as dead! If I'm here, in my body.." he grabbed at his arm and patted himself down to make certain of this fact, "Then how do I go back? There's.. there's no place for me to return to!"

"Where would you return, if you could?"

"I.." The snow leopard's posture slackened, and he sat down heavily on the inconsistant-feeling ground. "I don't know. What is there for me, anymore? I'm not the Dragon Warrior, I'm not anything."

"You are Tai Lung. Is that not enough?"

Tai Lung's face burned with annoyance and shame. "It means nothing if I can't fulfil my destiny."

"It was never your destiny to begin with."

"Why didn't you stop him?" the cat had curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his head and his tail around his legs. "Why didn't you stop him from giving me that damned name? Things could have been different then!"

Oogway closed his eyes, recalling a young pupil rushing up to him with a tiny bundle. "No.. it wouldn't have been. You would still have desired the title of Dragon Warrior, even had your name been a more humble one. You must learn, Tai Lung, that what you need to conquer is not a denied notion of destiny. What you need to conquer is yourself."

"How... how do I conquer myself?" the ball of grey fur curled up on the ground below sprouted an anxious-looking face again.

"First of all, you must _want to._"

"Why do I have to conquer myself?" the big cat had uncurled now, and crouched in an almost-combative stance beneath the peacefully-floating tortoise. "Will that get me back? I cannot stay here!"

Master Oogway hummed softly, closing his eyes in preparation for meditation. "You must conquer yourself because that is the only way to discover who you truly are, Tai Lung. There is another you, buried deep in your heart. He has always been there, but he became afraid and fled."

"I fear NOTHING!"

"That is the lie you tell yourself so that you don't tremble in the darkness." One of Oogway's eyes lazily slid back open, and he regarded his new pupil with a sharp, evaluating eye. "The darkness within and the darkness without, they are both the same."

The snow leopard recoiled from the statement, backing away from the apparition of the ghostly kung fu grandmaster. "What does all this mean?"

"Are you afraid?"

The question sent a flurry of emotions rushing over the leopard's face. Anger, indignation, confusion, worry, and resolve, finally settling into a hyperactive anxiety that widened his eyes from the superior slits that they had settled into sometime during his adolesence. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be afraid of."

The tortoise chuckled, returning to his meditative stance. "Of yourself, of course. We are all our own worst enemies. But only if we acknowledge ourselves can we overcome ourselves."

There was a long, contemplative silence. So long that Oogway nearly fell into a doze. The Astral Plane was so comfortably warm here, exactly the temperature that let him truly let go of earthly bonds in life. He wondered idly if souls slept. He hadn't in the time he'd been here so far, but then again..

His thoughts were interrupted once more as Tai Lung spoke up again. "Will I be able to go back? If I defeat myself, or whatever it is you mean for me to do?"

"Oh... now it's my desire that you do something, hmmm? My direction that you would follow?" He sensed his audience's annoyance and chuckled. "I don't intend to have you do anything, I have simply been pointing out that you should. But you should because you want to, not because of me. Without personal intent, any quest is meaningless."

He stretched his ghostly limbs and floated back down in front of the muscular cat. "I truly do not know if achieving your sense of self will do anything about getting you back to the mortal plane. But I do know that it will bring you inner peace to finally know yourself. I cannot guide you on this journey, no one can. This is a journey you must make alone."

The ancient tortoise pointed into the distance with a clawlike finger. "This place is vast, and varied. There are dark places here, even as there are in the soul. You could start there, or you could start here, where it's brighter. Or..." He turned and pointed back behind the leopard now, smiling blissfully at the confusion in his companion's face. "You could start back that way, where you're closer to home. It doesn't matter, really. Regardless of how many steps you take, you are only really moving in your mind."

He reached out, and held a hand in front of Tai Lung, as if he would have touched the big cat's arm if he could. "Good luck, young one. You may go home, you may not. You may find yourself, you may become lost in the darkness. But remember, it is only yourself that you fight. Be honest to that." He began to fade away, still with that look of calm compassion on his face.

"W-WAIT!" Tai Lung cried, grabbing at the spirit of Oogway as it disappeared. "Master! Come back! Don't leave me... alone..."

The leopard shrank in on himself, isolated even more than he'd ever been in Chorh-Gom. A sound like soft, distant thunder rippled through the indistinct landscape, and suddenly, irrationally, he felt the urge to run. He fought at first, but a glance back toward the hazy, dark region that Oogway had indicated revealed that the angry clouds were beginning to twist and roll in his direction. Tai Lung wavered for a moment, then began to run.

"I'm not afraid of you!" he roared, extending his claws as he charged towards the looming darkness. "I'm not AFRAID!"

The darkness roiled and surged in response.

--

Thankfully, the damage had not been quite as severe as the Furious Five had dreaded. The site of the final confrontation between Po and Tai Lung had been in a residential area, and many homes were damaged, some quite badly.

A few were totally demolished. But the business district had fortunately taken very light damage, and many shopkeepers - Po's father among them- had already begun taking in family friends and neighbors, without having to be asked. It was a promising end to nearly five hours of evaluations.

Mr. Ping waved to the group of warriors as they carefully made their way down the damaged street, calling out to his son until he was certain that he'd gained the panda's attention. A few small children peeked from behind the goose in awe as the heroes of the Valley of Peace approached the humble noodle shop. "You must tell us what has happened, Po!" Mr. Ping cried, shooing the children back indoors.

"All of the excitement that Morimotsuhitsu's return had come, and none of us have seen him! I hear that his children had come home, but Mrs. Lim says they have now gone!" A few murmurs of agreement came from the crowd that had gathered around them, and Po scratched the back of his neck nervously. Public speaking was not one of the talents he was awesome at.

Tigress, ever the leader, came to his rescue by speaking up before he could even figure out what he should say. "Apparently, Lord Morimotsuhitsu has passed on during the years of his self-imposed exile. His remains were brought back to the Jade Palace yesterday."

Gasps of shock greeted this news, and to Tigress's mild surprise, a few even openly wept at the declaration. Her brilliant eyes caught an older rabbit muttering a quick prayer for the old warlord's soul, and she crossed her arms.

Mr. Ping noticed the expression on her face. "You must realise, Tigress, he was not just a warlord. He was the Emperor's greatest general, one of his most trusted military leaders. He did not take the Valley of Peace by force, though he certainly could have in those days. My father told me of how Master Oogway himself went to meet him, back when the Valley had a great stone bridge that connected it to the outside world."

The entire village had gathered around them now, a few old-timers nodding in agreement with the tale being spun. Tigress looked skeptical. "According to what Master Shifu read before us, Master Oogway surrendered to only one invader. How is it possible that he was defeated?" The feline's tail gave a few agitated lashes, betraying how deeply this whole thing troubled her.

A particularly ancient rabbit chuckled. "My dear Master Tigress, Oogway was not defeated, he simply chose not to fight. The Emperor himself presented Lord Morimotsuhitsu with a large amount of land. Larger even than he entrusted any of his other generals with. And not to defend or maintain the empire with, it was so that his favorite warlord could _retire!_"

The children, who'd returned to cluster around Mr. Ping, chattered excitedly at that. They'd never heard of this before.

The goose nodded briskly, taking up the story once more. "Master Oogway, it is said, was friends with Lord Morimotsuhitsu at the moment that they met. He was impressed that the general was making the rounds of his new holdings himself, foregoing a procession or a caravan in order to get the feel of the lands on his own."

An aging, half-blind pig spoke up. "He probably found it similar to how he himself had found the Valley of Peace. And together, they completed the Jade Palace, fortified the valley, and here we all are today because of it!"

"Now hold on," Mantis interrupted, hopping up onto the pile of stones that stood next to the noodle shop entrance. "I thought the village built the Jade Palace for Master Oogway? Like... 900 years ago or something!"

The elders froze, glancing at each other. Finally the pig started laughing. And that started the cascade of laughter that washed over the younger citizens and kung fu masters like a tidal wave.

"Youngster, take a look up that mountain," a grandmotherly rabbit giggled "the artistry involved is far beyond anything else in this valley. There was a structure there, but it was nothing compared to THAT. Five-clawed dragons climb those Hua Biao pillars. There was Imperial money that turned that simple monastary into a palace!" She smiled serenely. "I should know, my grandfather helped plan the original building."

Po snorted and scratched his head in confusion. "And what, next you'll tell us Master Oogway wasn't really 900 years old?"

"Master Oogway was never one to let the truth get in the way of a good story, especially one that amused him."

The Furious Five shot to attention as Master Shifu spoke up. None of them had seen him arrive, and from the annoyed look on his face, he was going to make them work doubly hard at their next training session to sharpen their perception.

The citizenry, however, were not as cowed by Shifu's finely-honed glare.

"Master Shifu! What's happened?"

"We've been told that Lord Mori-"

"Is it true? He is dead?"

"What's going to happen?"

"What do we do now?"

The babble rose into a frenzy until finally the diminuitive red panda held up with hands in a plea for silence. The voices dropped off, one by one, until he had their full attention.

"It is true, Lord Morimotsuhitsu is gone." He briskly waved his hand again, cutting off the fresh terror that was attempting to erupt at the news. "And his estate has been divided in accordance to his wishes. You will all be gratified to know that we have been entrusted to the youngest of Morimotsuhitsu's children, the Lady Tao-hua, arguably, the least offensive of them. We remain, more or less, as we are." The six warriors he had trained all exchanged glances at the implied "I hope" that obviously finished their masters' thought.

"Tell us, Master Shifu," a random voice cried from the back of the crowd, "The Jade Palace, how well has it survived?"

Shifu allowed himself a satified smile. He knew how important the structure overlooking the valley was to the people. It was a bright, shining beacon that promised hope, peace, and well-being to all. "The Jade Palace has but a few scratches," he replied with a gracious nod. "Lady Tao-hua is so underwhelmed with it's damage that she insists that all reconstruction focus entirely on the city, and your homes, first and foremost."

Shifu was startled by the exclamations of approval that greeted his words. It seemed that he and Lady Tao were both right about what the village needed and what it wanted. He nodded dismissingly to the villagers, who returned to their work excitedly chattering about the news.

Crane approached him, bowing respectfully. "Master Shifu, we've determined that everyone has a place to stay, and the shopkeepers and restaurants are taking on everyone's needs as far as food, bedding and goods are concerned."

Shifu nodded in satisfaction and turned back to face the Jade Palace, which gleamed in the late evening sunshine so that it belied any evidence of damage. "Good. I knew that the villagers were more than capable of seeing to themselves. We are all not as helpless as Tao seems to want to believe." He chuckled to himself, a sound which died in his throat when a short figure in a familiar dusty cloak pushed her way through the crowd to face him.

"Lady Tao-hua," he hissed anxiously, "what are you doing here?"

Tao pushed back her hood and favored both he and his students with an evaluating glance. "Shopping," she finally replied. "I've been thinking all morning that the Dragon Warrior needs a good tailor, and once I found one I thought that you might do with a little cleaning up yourself, Shifu."

Shifu recoiled as she paced around him, shaking her head in disapproval at his treadbare beige training uniform. "What? Why are you..? When did you..? Whatever happened to seeing to the people before engaging in frivolities?" he growled.

The raccoon dog grinned. "I am seeing to their needs, Shifu. You and Master Panda are in dire need of more befitting clothing, and poor Miss Bik and her assistant are without anything to do to help anyone else out at the moment." The tanuki winked suddenly, pulling out an embroidered wallet. "Besides, I'm helping the economy!"

Shifu steamed silently, attemping to glare Tao-hua to death with his bright blue eyes. Lady Tao remained unimpressed.

"Come along you two, we can't keep Miss Bik waiting. I think you'd look quite striking in black, Shifu..."

The red panda crossed his arms and glowered. "I have an entirely adequate wardrobe Lady Tao-hua. I simply choose not to waste it on activities where it will be unneccessarily damaged." He shot a look at Po, who grinned nervously. "The panda however, fine. Should it suit you to do so, he definitely needs at least a pair of pants that fit." He attempted to side-step out of the procession, only to discover that Tao had looped her arm around his and was now half-dragging him along with her.

"Humor me, Shifu."

"I've humored you every moment that I've known you."

Po stifled a snicker as he followed them, glancing back and forth between the two combatants.

"Humor me some more, then."

"Release me and I'll think about it."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?

"Why do YOU?"

"Shifu, you haven't changed."

"And you, Lady Tao-hua, haven't improved."

Po bit his lip at the comeback, then shot a new look at Tao to see what she'd say. Tao-hua stopped in the street, glaring at the red panda. "Is this what you teach your students? Snappy comebacks and put-downs? Honestly Shifu, you think you're a real wit, but you're only HALF right." The tanuki stalked into the tailor's shop in silence, followed by the mystified Po. Shifu stood victoriously out in the street for a solid minute before his smirk faded into a glower.

"HALF-WIT, am I?" he roared, shoving his way into the shop to continue the argument.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: I definitely do need to start making the chapters longer, or this thing may never end! As it is, I think it's going to have to be broken into two parts to make sense without being HUGELY long. Heh heh... she says as she uploads chapter 13...

RenkonNairu: Tai Lung's ordeal is a sort of parallel for what's happening back at the Jade Palace at this point. As his life is a disorderly, conflicted shambles, such is happening with the main characters. His ultimate fate though, looks like it's going to have to over-arch into a second volume at this point.

Kelev: We have a very similar take on Tai, I think. Shifu and Tao's battles are definitely fun to write.

jla2snoopy: Tai Lung's just as confused as you are. Hopefully it'll start to become clear in this chapter. As for Tao and Shifu, sometimes things have to get worse before they can become better.

--

Chapter 13: What Disrupts Harmony

Eyes of piercing ice bored into Tai Lung's own, and he forced himself not to back down or look away. Instead of the warm fires of the gaze he'd known since he was a toddler, spotting his reflection for the first time in the shining inlay of the Jade Palace's floors, these eyes held nothing but the biting hatred of the coldest frozen wastelands. His fur appeared to smoulder with inner fire, the leopard's spots seeming like glowing coals.

"I'm not afraid of you.." Tai Lung swore once more, raising his hand to deliver another strike to his opponent.

The other Tai Lung didn't speak, he merely smirked in response, displaying broken, jagged teeth.

That was the thing that really set the leopard's fury to the boiling point. This other him, this other... Tai Lung, he didn't speak. He would smirk, chuckle, or even laugh, but he never actually spoke. It made attempts at figuring out exactly what he was meant to be doing incredibly frustrating.

"Are we supposed to battle to the death? Are we meant to form an alliance? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO!?" he finally roared, flipping through the air in an arc and slamming his fists roughly into the other leopard, sending him skidding over the rough, inconsistant ground.

The smouldering shape curled into a ball, rolling up a craggy bank of dark cloud, and launched itself back at him. For a moment, Tai Lung was transfixed by those eyes again. There was nothing in them. Nothing but vicious, deadly joy in fighting. No purpose, no meaning, nothing but combat.

He let himself fall away from the apparition, turning the motion into a smooth dodge and using his agile feline balance to leap back away from the other cat. More than ever, he found himself shaken by his adversary. This creature wasn't getting tired, it wasn't even evaluating him for weaknesses. There was no art to its' combat at all.

This beast was nothing but merciless icy fury, and destructive blazing rage.

Tai Lung's mental guard fell abruptly, and he let his movement come to a standstill. "I am... only fighting myself.." he whispered, remembering Oogway's words. This horrible creature was himself. The self that had seized control when he had been training, the self that desired the dragon scroll, the self that wanted the Valley of Peace in flames.

The self that... wanted... to kill...

He didn't see the fist coming, or the elbow, or either of the feet. He did feel it when they launched him roughly into the air, beat him up into the sky, and then blasted him back into the ground, though. He felt that abundantly.

He staggered back to his feet, wiping his mouth. His shoulder ached fiercely, a souvenier of his lapse in attention that he hoped he'd be around to bemoan later. The shock of realization had rattled the massive cat to his core. Was this how he appeared to his master? To the villagers?

Grimly, he set his stance. This monster could not be allowed to win.

"I AM TAI LUNG!" he snarled defiantly, baring his claws and narrowing his blazing eyes. "I will not allow you to exist, you are but a mockery of myself!" The other Tai Lung began to chuckle, and rushed the snow leopard.

The gray cat surged forward, grabbing the cackling fiery imposter, and slamming his head into the other's face. "You are not me! You are NOT ME!"

The two combatants grappled, and stumbled over the cloudy ground. Flashes of light, similar to lightening, played through the surface beneath them. The imposter cat dug his claws into Tai Lung's shoulders, locking him into a powerful hold before grabbing him by the throat. The clouds parted beneath them, and the snow leopard found himself dangling over a bottomless drop. The icy eyes of the other leopard were boring into his own like a relentless knife, and the acrid smell of smoke filled the apprentice master's nostrils.

"I thought you'd realized it by now.." the smouldering leopard whispered. "I am part of you. You can't destroy yourself and survive, fool."

Tai Lung's eyes widened in disbelief as he was held over the edge of the Astral Plane. He grabbed futilely at his captor's arms, but his claws seemed to slide right through without gaining purchase.

Everything was growing dark, fuzzy, and indistinct. The sounds of his tormentors laughter and the rolling thunder seemed to be coming from far, far away, almost as if he were waking up from a dream. But this was no dream, was it? Or would he wake up back in his room at the barracks, a small frightened cub who'd had a nightmare? No, there was too much pain, too much pain and he couldn't breathe, and the worst thing about it all was that

"..it's all my fault.." he managed to whisper, before everything went black.

--

All conversation at the Jade Palace had become strained in the past few weeks, Monkey reflected, as he placed a few decoy cookies in the bright blue jar on the top shelf of the pantry. The agile primate swung cautiously across the room, and listened for a few moments before prying off a piece of wood panelling that covered a small cavity in the wall surface over the door. He retrieved a dark-colored jar from within and allowed himself a victorious grin.

The golden yunnan didn't know for certain who was stealing his cookies, but he'd been forced to find a new hiding place for them. The culprit was still a mystery to him. Master Shifu was the only one he could think of who definitely knew where the OLD hiding place was.. but the red panda had never shown any inclination towards sweets before.

The obvious culprit would have been Po.. if there was any conceivable way that the giant panda could have reached them. The Dragon Warrior often had a face full of debris from some snack, but managing to get ten feet off of the ground to reach an awkward nook in a shelf?

Regardless of whatever Po had done to Tai Lung, it was just not believable. The panda himself admitted that he'd defeated the muscular snow leopard via the mysterious Wuxi finger hold, and had done most of his share of the destruction in the village via falling, setting off fireworks and just plain letting Tai Lung rebound off of him.

Monkey had seen a good number of Po's 'panda style' moves during the past month of training, and he felt confident that leaping around like a posessed flea was simply not in the panda's skillset or physical ability.

So.. who then?

He replaced the jar, and tapped the loose board back into place carefully. Whoever it was, they were obviously a master of not only kung fu, but subterfuge. They were using Po as a distraction, trusting that the chubby bear would be the one blamed for the theivery. But who in the Furious Five could be so... sneaky?

Viper? No.. she had too much giddy flair not to be tormenting him with seemingly innocent comments and daring him to find proof of her guilt. As Master Shifu had observed in the past, Lian lacked subtlety.

Mantis, then? Wei's great strength would make it no difficult job to leap up to the top shelf, but could the tiny master really eat an entire jar full of cookies in less than an hour when he couldn't even manage a half bowl of Po's addictively delicious soup at dinner?

No.. Mantis was out, then.

Tigress? He leapt cautiously down from his perch to consider that thought. She certainly had the high-jumping ability in spades.. Perhaps not.. she hated almonds with a passion that verged on a psychological disorder.

So... Crane, then? He liked sweets. His powerful wings meant he would have no problem reaching the blue jar. And perhaps he could even hide the evidence under his hat if he were caught in the pantry without good reason? But no.. that was crazy! Soft-spoken, can't-we-all-just-get-along An? A cookie thief?

It would be the perfect cover, Chen had to admit. But he couldn't just walk up to his fellow master and accuse him of anything. Things were tense enough as it was, which brought him back to the thought that he had started his cookie baiting with.

All conversation in the Jade Palace was strained.

The Furious Five had taken to patronizing Po's father's restaurant as much as possible at mealtimes, just to have some extra space between them and the two so-called 'adults' of the Palace. Master Shifu was a firecracker, and Lady Tao-hua was a flame, and any time they were remotely close together the feeling that something was about to explode hung expectantly in the air.

Po had returned from a training expedition to the sacred grounds of Wu Dan mountain with Master Shifu only a week before, looking shaken and out of sorts. Master Shifu had insisted on the retreat to gain some of his fragile inner peace back, but apparently the journey had been anything but settling. Their master refused to speak of it, but Po had told them in a nervous whisper about the Pool of Sacred Tears, turned black and ominous. All the lush grass had appeared dead, and the ground had cracked beneath their feet.

Master Shifu often said that the sacred mountains held the very stitches of the bonds of heaven and earth together. The Furious Five had sent out for their own expedition days previously, with Crane and Mantis rushing to the site. The water, they assured Po, was a little murky but clearing up. The vegetation was stunted, but growing. It was mightily tempting to chalk the whole thing up to nerves and weather.

The weather had seemed fine, though. Everyone's nerves, on the other hand...

Mantis, trained warrior that he was, startled openly as Monkey returned into the training room by diving stealthily through the open door.

"Gah! Geez man, don't do that!"

The two faced off, pretending to spar.

"How's the old battle-axe?" A feint and a jab.

"Same as the old slave-driver." A dodge and a swipe.

"What are they doing?" A sweep of a staff to block, and with a twirl the motion followed through naturally as a blow.

"The same thing they were doing when you left! She's just sitting up there watching, and he's over there glaring at her!" The blow was caught by the small green insect, and the staff nearly pulled from its weiders' grip. "Shifu's so distracted fuming at her, he didn't even notice you were gone!"

Monkey somersaulted backwards, putting some room in between his adversary and himself. "Oh, that IS serious. Anyone else notice that?"

The mantis snorted. "Only everyone."

Chen glanced quickly around the room, noting how each of the other masters- whether training alone or against a partner- kept glancing up at Master Shifu. Master Shifu, for that matter, couldn't seem to stop shooting evil glares at the tanuki who was watching the training with vague disinterest. "How long have they been like that?" he risked asking.

His partner shrugged. "What time is it? The thing I don't get is, of all the stuff she could be doing, why this? I'd just like to ask her-"

"WHY are you in HERE, Lady Tao-hua?"

Mantis yelped as his voice suddenly seemed to take on the tones of an enraged red panda, and he hastily covered his mouth in surprise.

Above them, Tao-hua's eyes never left Shifu's. They engaged, for a few anxious moments, in a staring contest that left the air absolutely electric. Finally, the tanuki looked away. "I was only watching, Shifu."

"Watching? Watching?" the red panda seemed incensed by the notion. "What in the world could possibly give you cause to be watching their training? What is it that you've decided that I'm doing wrong now?"

The raccoon dog straightened, her bronze eyes flashing in indignation. "I'm certain that I have no idea what you mean, Master Shifu!"

Shifu stormed up the steps to the raised platform that the lady stood on. The wood beneath his feet creaked as though it were having to bear the weight of the small creature's tremendous anger. "No more games, Tao-hua! I've grown tired of them! Ever since you've arrived, you've delighted in picking apart everything that I have done."

"We have put off repairing the palace, we have rebuilt most of the city, we have plowed fields and carried water, and STILL it never seems to be enough for you! My students need their training. The villagers must be allowed to do some things for themselves, and everyone's clothing is quite adequate. So WHAT, Lady Tao-hua, WHAT is it that you have found fault with now?"

The tanuki flinched back from the accusation guiltily, breaking eye contact and easing away from the infuriated kung fu master. Seeing victory within sight, Shifu advanced.

"Nothing to say? No guilt-bringing wry observations? I must say that I'm disappointed."

At that, Tao raised her face and glared back at him, and Shifu found himself wishing that he could take it all- or at least part of it back. The dark markings beneath her eyes were damp with tears, and she was biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

"No Shifu," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm the one who's disappointed. You'll never know... how disappointed I am." She drew an uneven breath and pulled out her battered laquered fan, concealing her face behind it as though it were a shield as she ducked through the door leading back into the palace quickly.

Shifu stared after her in shock for a moment. He could feel the stares of his students on his back. Their confusion, shock, and disapproval was radiating off of them so powerfully they'd probably glow in the dark. He was their master, though. He could not betray any weakness in front of them, could not seek or justify their approval. Rather than turn to face them, he rushed after the unpredictable Tao.

Even as he left, his sensitive hearing picked up an odd, nonsensical comment on the whole situation from his newest student. He'd deal with that later. Just now, he was intent on finding out what that bizarre, unpredictable woman was doing.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: So what happened to Tai Lung? I'm afraid that his fate is a mystery for now. Also, the Wu sisters belong to the story development team at Dreamworks in concept, I'm just taking the idea and running with it. We'll see how far I get before I trip and fall. XD

Renkon Nairu: Hopefully you won't kill me, Tai Lung's not going to appear again in this for a while... As for Guiren, he's finally going to get to start directing some chaos of his own. It took him a while to get to his new home, so hopefully that explains his absense. Romance senses, you say? Well... you might just be on to something!

jla2snoopy: The nature of Tai Lung's battle with himself should make more sense a little later on, when he next appears. I will say though, that his last line in the chapter was very significant to what was happening. I hadn't planned on revisiting the tailor shop, but you've given me an idea that I may end up using later on. Oh seriously, I was really disappointed that Monkey's lines were so few and far between. Most of the Five didn't really get much exposition, so I'm hoping to flesh them out a bit more in the story.

--

Chapter 14: What the Inheritance Wrought

Tao steadied her breathing, keeping her eyes shut tightly and willing herself to vanish. She was far too old to be such a slave to her emotions, but here she was. She opened her eyes, taking in the sea of stars above her. A few straggling petals from the peach tree blew around her face, and she stifled a sniffle.

Now, more than ever, she missed her father.

On the road, she'd finally gotten to know the man who'd been a distant enigma during her formative years. He'd ceased just being father and had taken on aspects of the near-mythical figure she'd heard stories of all her young life. He'd taught her about watching her back, the art of a well-made diversion, how to tell when someone was lying, and more mundane things such as sewing.

She'd never even known her father knew HOW to sew before she'd found him mending his cloak. He'd chuckled at her astonishment. Tapping her nose in the way he would when she'd done something that especially amused him, he'd asked her if she thought that battlefields had tailors.

And when she did something foolish, such as the time she'd lost her money in an obviously rigged betting game, he reassured her. She'd thought she was cunning enough to see through the scam, but she'd quickly been suckered. Her father's insistance on disappearing completely from sight meant that their funds were quite limited. They'd gone hungry that night, and her face had positively burned with shame over it.

"Come now, little one.." he'd said with a smile, smoothing back the fur from her face and giving her a gentle grin. "It's not so bad as all that. You'll know better next time, and you won't fall for such an obvious con artist. It's only a little money." And even though it really hadn't been only a 'little' money, just like that, it was better. Her anger with herself was cooled, and her self-doubt quashed.

But father wasn't here to give her that talk anymore, and her doubts consumed her like a fire. She clung to the ancient, rough trunk of the failing peach tree, wishing she'd never come back. It would have been better for them all if she hadn't, she reasoned. Guiren and Ruiling would still have been denied this place. In her absense Shifu could have gone on running things as Oogway had...

Well, why not?

She slid down the trunk, finally coming to rest in a sitting position. Her head was pounding, and her vision was blurry. She didn't trust herself to do much without risking some mishap. That would be all she needed, to fall and break an ankle or something and be stuck here at the mercy of.. She whirled, with a gasp, at the soft sound of someone climbing the hill behind her.

"SHIFU!"

The red panda gave her a hard stare, as if she were some alien rock or tree that he had no idea what to make of. Probably a similar stare to the one she'd favored the giant panda with almost a month before. Finally he crossed his arms and gave her an expectant look. "What, may I ask, are you doing, Lady Tao-hua?"

She stiffened, and turned away from him to dry her face. When she trusted herself to stand, she did so, regarding the sunkissed, early-morning view of the valley below with pointed interest. "If you must know, I've made a decision. I think you'll be happy with it." When her companion didn't reply, she pressed ahead with her explanation.

"I've decided that you're right. I'm not helping anything, and it's best for everyone here if I step aside and leave you all alone."

At that, Shifu finally did respond. "I'm glad that you see things my way. We all know quite well what to do, you needn't stand over and try to tell us."

Tao glanced back over her shoulder at his approving tone, nodding in agreement. "Good. I'll leave first thing in the morning."

"What?!"

"You suddenly seem displeased, Shifu," she observed.

"Lady Tao-hua, you cannot just leave!" he cried, mounting the last few steps with fresh anger. "Who will be in command of the Jade Palace? Whatever happened to your concern over your people? You have responsibilities, and you cannot simply abandon them!"

Tao shrugged. "Father did. And look, you and Master Oogway kept things going just fine." She waved a hand demonstratively towards the content village below them, which was only just beginning to stir in the early morning light. "You managed to destroy whatever that 'great evil' was without any serious harm to anyone, the town is damaged but the people are happy.. I'm just not needed here, Shifu."

The red panda stormed over to stand next to the peach tree and glowered. "No serious harm to anyone... You have no idea what you speak of. That evil arrived on the doorstep of the Jade Palace one morning, in the person of an innocent child. No one in the valley knew from where he had come. I took in that child, I raised him as my own son.. and somehow I corrupted him into a monster so powerful that he nearly destroyed us all. Twice!"

The tanuki seemed to ignore him, continuing to silently watch the families and neighbors below. Her small pointed ears twitched to follow him though, as Shifu paced back and forth behind her, continuing to lecture. "I have only just barely forgiven myself for what I helped create in that boy. I have enough responsibility as it is."

"I didn't know," she finally whispered. "You never told me. No one tells me anything, I'm afraid."

Shifu paused, and let out the breath he'd taken, mid-lecture. Beside him on the bare dirt trail, a tiny green seedling bent gently in the slight breeze. Shifu focused on the small plant for a moment before continuing. "There was no reason for you to be told. The panda has defeated Tai Lung. He is gone, and in the past. It bears no concern for you."

"Bears no concern.. Shifu, you stubborn old fool, I think I have a right to know!"

"Right?!" he cried, as furious as if she'd accused him of murdering Master Oogway in cold blood, "You have no right! It is none of your business to begin with!" Tao started to respond, then thought better of it as she took a second look at Shifu. The red panda's large ears had laid back flat in agitation, and he'd bared his short teeth at her.

"It makes no sense for us to keep butting heads like this, Shifu!" she finally retorted. "Especially since neither of us are goats! I'm miserable, you're miserable, and your students exist on pins and needles every waking moment!" Tao folded her arms sensibly and attempted to gather her thoughts back up from where Shifu's unexpected anger had scattered them.

"It makes no sense at all.. unless you get some masochistic thrill out of arguing with me. And if that's so, then I've got news for you." She closed the gap between them with three brisk strides. "I'm sick and tired of it." She shook her head and sighed, turning her eyes back down to the village. "I'm so sick and tired of it."

"Unfortunate for you, my lady," Shifu countered. "Because I haven't the will nor the want to do your job for you, Tao-hua. Especially just because you've decided that you just can't be bothered, or because you still enjoy the same sadistic little mind games I remember from when you were a child!"

He squared his shoulders, and after a quick glance back over his shoulder he self-consciously lowered his voice to a more conversational level before continuing. "You think I'm not sick of this, too? I can barely make it through the day without wondering when you're going to lob something at my head!" With a long-suffering sigh, he straightened his robes and smoothed his ruffled fur. The best thing he could think of to do in this situation was attempt to make peace.

"I don't know what I ever did to make you despise me so, Tao-hua. But leave it in the past, if you please." He swallowed his pride and managed a stiff but still respectful bow, to show his sincerity. "We may hate each other, but we can still work together in spite of it."

The woman chuckled softly, breaking Shifu's train of thought. "Shifu.. you may have been Master Oogway's best disciple.. and he often praised your perceptiveness in training... but you can still be as dense as lead." She paced back towards the edge of the cliff, looking back down at the peaceful valley below. The citizenry were out and about now, busily mending buildings, repairing streets, and helping each other out without a thought in the world about what she was doing.

She might as well not exist for all that they currently knew or cared. But she was used to that notion.

"I've never hated you," she began slowly. "I've gone out of my way to annoy you, I've even felt some resentment for you at times, but I've never hated you." The master grunted disbelievingly behind her, and she shook her head. Fine. Let him doubt. It changed nothing. Shifu always did have to believe he was right about everything.

"You have to realise, you were always just so good at everything, Shifu. Every task that Oogway presented, you pursued until you could do it blindfolded. It didn't matter what he asked, you always excelled. There was nothing you couldn't do. Everyone noticed. You don't realise what that does to a kid who's always looked over. One who might as well be invisible."

Tao sat down on the edge of the cliff, gathering her thoughts. "I've changed though, Shifu. My time with father on the road forced me to. I couldn't be invisible when I had to help him. I couldn't hide when we had nothing." She smiled fondly at some memory of life outside the Valley of Peace. "You don't know how liberating it was. And you have no idea how much I was looking forward to coming back here, just for a little while. I never intended to stay."

She sighed heavily, as though some tremendous pressure had settled on her chest. "I was so looking forward to seeing you again. I knew that the young apprentice Shifu who conquered all challenges would finally be an old man. And I just knew that it would finally put that nagging feeling in my mind to rest to see it."

After a long silence, Tao-hua stood up again, brushing off of her brownish-red skirts before facing him. "And you can't imagine what it was like to discover that I was wrong." Her eyes looked terribly tired as she caught his confused gaze. "All this time, I was just sure that somehow, you'd have stopped being so... you. That I'd see what a silly little girl I'd been all those years ago."

She started to brush past him, but paused at his side. He regarded her coolly, only turning his head a little. She didn't return his gaze, instead she simply looked towards the palace, apparently ashamed of herself.

"Shifu.. I can't help it. I don't know how it is that I manage to say and do exactly the things that will aggrivate you the most, but I don't mean to do it." She swallowed thickly, and whispered "I.. love you. I always have." and then she was moving with all possible speed back towards the palace.

The breeze picked up suddenly, and to Shifu it was as if the remaining flowers that had still clung to Oogway's dying peach tree had taken to flight like frightened birds. He whirled around, looking back in the direction that his one-time adversary had gone in. But she was gone, and he couldn't help wondering if the conversation had really just occured.

One thing was certain though, Po's comment about 'arguing like an old married couple' suddenly made sense.

--

Far to the frozen north, in the broken, craggy mountains that bordered Mongolia, a tall figure kicked open the heavy wooden door on an old fortress. "What a worthless old relic, courtesy of the worthless old relic," Guiren grumbled, eyeing the threadbare and battered old fortress with a critical eye. The rugs on the floor were worn and moth-eaten, and the few pieces of furniture appeared to have been used in a brawl.

"Could go back," a large, one-eyed ox in scavanged armor suggested as he inspected what passed for the great hall, paying particular attention to the old stone hearth. "Would have no problem taking old valley."

"Idiot," the massive sun bear growled, "If you believe that then you might as well have knocked out both of your eyes, because you're as blind as a rock!" He flung the helmet from the ridiculous suit of armor that his men had just finished hauling into the fortress at the ox to prove his point, narrowly missing his target.

The ox shied back, and began scrabbling for supplies to build a fire. Perhaps some warmth would take the edge off of Lord Guiren's anger. This craggy old fortress was as cold inside as the wind-blown peaks were outside.

"We don't stand a chance against that crackpot and the Furious Five.. and then there's the so-called 'Dragon Warrior' to consider. We need an advantage." The bear tested a large, weathered chair before settling into it thoughtfully. "The best advantage I can think of however, I hear the Dragon Warrior has destroyed." Guiren frowned, running his hand over the intricately carved armrest of his current perch.

"Perhaps something sinister with spots is on order, though. Contact the Wu sisters. Perhaps they will discover something promising. In the meanwhile.." He accepted the helmet to his armor suit back from a cowering wolf, examining it for a moment before flinging it once more at the one-eyed ox. This time, it was a hit, and sent the stunned animal toppling into the pile of kindling that his guard were compiling. He did not move again.

"We will just have to be.. patient."

The significance of the pause was not lost on the motley assortment of guard, who frantically began preparations. If the leopard sisters' mission went well, then they could soon be marching on the Valley of Peace. It it went poorly, they could seen be joining their former comrade.

--

The day dragged stubbornly onward, mid-morning turned to midday, and still, no one had seen Master Shifu.

Since they had not officially been released from their training, the five refused to leave the hall and had each taken up some solo training. Training, yes, but the dullness with which it was being executed betrayed how little their hearts were in it. Po scratched his head, a bit baffled. He was too confused at the unusual event that had happened earlier to just leave it alone, but too afraid of Tigress trying to verbally take his head off to say anything.

Heck, the way everyone was on-edge lately, she might up the ante and try to physically take it off!

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. Po could take many things. Physical abuse, starvation (albeit with a lot of whining)... but he couldn't take boredom. And directionless training on his own? THAT was class A boring. He slowly crept over to the open door. The five didn't even appear to notice as he slid over to it as stealthily as a giant panda could, which was to say not very, and no one objected as he snuck out the door. If Shifu wouldn't come back to them, then someone had to go to him!

Five minutes later, Tigress sighed in exasperation. "Who's going after him?" A chorus of refusal sent the tiger-style master grumbling out the door in pursuit herself.

Ten minutes later, Crane shook his head in resignation, starting for the door. "We'd better find them. You know how she gets with Po." The rest of the masters grimaced and darted for the open doorway that was letting the noonday sunlight stream into the training room. If they didn't act fast, they could be minus a Dragon Warrior.

"Let's split up," the viper master suggested, raising her head up to her fellow master's shoulder level. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"What if Master Shifu is testing us?" Mantis suddenly asked, throwing a fretful glance back into the shadowy training hall. "I mean, maybe this is one of his mind... things?" The small insect nervously clenched and unclenched his pincers.

"Wei, you think he staged that.. that entire fight with Lady Tao-hua this morning?" Monkey asked, genuinely curious. That their small master could be _that _devious hadn't occured to him yet.

"Well... no.. not really, Chen." Mantis admitted, letting his small shoulders slump and kicking at a tiny pebble in on the ground in front of him. "I just.. This whole thing just isn't right, you know? It just doesn't feel right! Master Shifu used to have me stand perfectly still on a single blade of grass for hours on end, apparently ignoring me completely. He said that when I figured out what the lesson was, that it would be over."

The other masters' eyes widened in recognition. "The balance lesson.." Crane muttered, nodding. Mantis pointed at him, eyes alight. "Exactly! If we wait, he'll eventually come back! We just have to be patient and let things settle down. THEN it'll become clear what's happening."

Viper looked unconvinced, her brow furrowed in concentration as she slithered past her fellows. "I don't know, this doesn't feel like a lesson to me. I'm going to go have a look around. What if something's happened?"


	15. Chapter 15

Kelev: Ah, you knew it was coming, huh? I hope it didn't sour you on the story. We'll definitely be getting back to Tai Lung, but not for another chapter or so.

RenkonNairu: I would have liked to have dragged it out a bit longer, but the 'breaking point' last chapter seemed like a good point of no return. Had Shifu not pressed the matter, it might have lasted longer. (Yes, when in doubt, blame the fictional character, lol)

jla2snoopy: Partially, but also Tao's had a crush on him for ages, which has been tempered by the fact that she really does feel jealous of him. Or did, at least. Much to her chagrin, he still seems capable of taking on anything and coming out on top. That she feels she should have been told about Tai Lung sooner is meant to be more or less implied. The Wu sisters were a concept from an early stage of the movie, and I think they'll work out well for what I have in mind. I hope...

--

Chapter 15: What One Got Right

Shifu stared bemusedly at the mah jhong board. The tiles stared back with complete indifference. He couldn't recall how exactly he'd ended up down here in the village, but he'd been snagged off of the street by the excessively friendly goose who was Po's father. The other man had insistantly pulled him into the residence at the back of the shop, directing his temporary help to manage the Golden Harvest restaurant while he saw to his guest.

Shifu found himself quite confused by the entire ordeal. They'd started a game at some point that he could only dimly recall, and now he'd been sitting here allowing himself to blabber on about some of his own deep-seated demons just to keep himself from thinking about what had happened back at the palace.

One of those demons concerned the noodle-shop's apprentice.

"..Surely you have noticed the parallels?" he finally stated, looking back up at the goose's smiling face.

Mr. Ping shrugged his feathery shoulders and straightened his hat before reaching for his teacup. "I had really never thought about it, to be honest." He sipped the brew thoughtfully and favored his guest with an expression that clearly showed his honesty in the matter. He'd clearly thought about it exacly zero times in his life and was only just now wondering if he should. That was the problem with Po Ping and his odd father, everything was so open and on the table that sometimes the red panda found himself nearly mistaking it for simple-mindedness.

As Mr. Ping's staggering number of wins at mah jhong against the cagey kung fu master would attest though, he was anything but.

Shifu's gaze hardened. "You hadn't...? Come now my friend, think about it now, then. A foundling child, raised by an unattached parent who pushes them towards a future of their choosing, not the child's.. and then that destiny somehow becomes warped and the future is denied? My son and yours, it scares me how much they are alike."

The red panda's posture slouched. "It worries me. Greatly." He reached towards the board, and matched another pair of tiles. "Or perhaps it isn't just our sons who are alike, perhaps it is we two. We're like reflections. One who got it right, the other who got it wrong." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just wish I knew how you managed it."

Mr. Ping leaned back in his seat, considering the statement and the playing field thoughtfully. "Po came to me, the morning of the tournament, and asked me if I'd ever wanted to do something besides run the shop. I had to admit it, there was a time when I had crazy dreams of making..." the goose threw a quick glance around the room and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper "..tofu!" He leaned back and cackled at the notion, either not noticing or caring about the odd look on his opponent's face at the revelation.

"Well, Po wanted to know why I didn't follow that dream, and... well.. I told him, but I didn't tell him the whole truth. I told him it was just a silly dream. What I didn't tell him was that I had never actually _tried_ tofu back then. After the first time I tasted it, I knew.. there was no way I could make something I didn't like!"

The goose chuckled, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. "Po had never tried kung fu before your Master Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior. And still, he loves it, even after he discovered it's hard work! Do you realize how extraordinary that is? He used to complain about the work when I'd send him up to the attic to fetch down the lanterns for the moon festival!" Mr. Ping slapped his thigh with mirth as he laughed.

Shifu sat uncomfortably, staring at his small, dark-colored hands. He suddenly was forced to appreciate that he didn't know what his son had enjoyed, or if he'd even had an opportunity to enjoy anything beyond his training. "Tai Lung.. enjoyed kung fu too.. but I can't help but be concerned that.." The twofold turmoil inside of him demanded motion, and he shoved himself away from the table and began to pace Mr. Ping's small sitting room, self-doubt gnawing actively at his thoughts.

"Who am I to train someone like your son? And what am I training him to be? Sometimes, I think that I'm the one in training, and he is my teacher, because I am constantly having to find new ways to get him to pay attention and practice!" He sighed, folding his arms behind his back and staring thoughtfully at the many homey decorations of the Ping family home. So very different from the Jade Palace's barracks.

"I've greatly enjoyed my time with Po, but recent events make me think that perhaps I am unfit to be his master."

Mr. Ping smiled knowingly, and left the board to fetch the small cooking pot that he'd left simmering by the fire. "This isn't about Po. This isn't even about training, is it?" He carefully retrieved the steaming pot and returned to the table with it. "Why are you so upset, hmmm? Tell me, why were you out wandering the streets? You looked as lost as I've ever seen a traveller look." He nodded sagely and shot his guest an approving grin.

"Good job not falling into the hole in front of Mr. Ling's, though!"

One large ear twitched anxiously at the question and the memory of the awkwarp hop-skip around the crater outside of the fishmonger's.

"Things are... a bit out of sorts at the palace," Shifu admitted slowly, returning to the game table as though he was approaching his executioner. "And I'm discovering that I am ill-equipped to handle the changes."

Ping's eyes widened. "Ahh! Is this about the lady Tao? Po tells me about the disruptions at the palace when he returns to the shop to do his chores." He paused suddenly, looking intrigued. "Tell me, do all of your students go home so often?"

Shifu settled back into his chair without looking up. "Never."

"Then why..?"

"Because I'm afraid of what I'll turn him into if I make him follow the same routine that I pushed on my son. If he wants to maintain two homes, I'm glad to let him do so. You've kept his heart pure for this long, I'm happy to let you maintain it."

"You're a silly, strange one, Shifu." the goose shook his head in wonder of it, still stirring the concoction. "Po keeps his own heart, we all do unless we give it away." The cook doled out a bit of what appeared to be soup into Shifu's long-empty teacup. "Now, you agreed to be my taste-tester, tell me what you think." He folded his feathery fingers and watched the red panda expectantly.

Shifu sniffed the concoction with the utmost caution. "It smells... odd."

Mr. Ping rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask you to _smell-test _it, you've got to taste it! Honestly, who goes into a restaurant and just smells the food?"

Shifu gave the goose a doubtful look, but raised the cup carefully to his lips. His eyes shot open in surprise, and he downed the entire thing in one gulp. "What WAS that?" he demanded, amazed. "And what was in it?"

"Ooooh no! I can't tell you that!" Mr. Ping chortled, stirring the pot and taking a small cupful to his own mouth. "It's an old family secret," he winked, and gave his guest a nostalgic smile. "I used to make this for Po, when he was sick or just down-hearted. It always brought a smile to his face. He got picked on a bit, being the only panda in the village. He'd come home and hide in the closet where I keep the linens, and wouldn't want to come out. Not even for dinner! Dinner, mind you!"

"I didn't know what to do, since I didn't know what was wrong. Then one day, one of my neighbors told me that Po was being pushed around by some of the other kids his age. What could I do? I couldn't fight Po's battles for him, so I did this. I called it 'spirit medicine', and told my son it doesn't matter what a soup smells like. What matters is the taste, the essence of it. Some people might be reluctant to try something that's different at first, but once they know it from the inside out, they cease to notice the exterior qualities."

The goose nodding knowingly at Shifu. "Your problem isn't bullies though, is it?"

The kung fu master shook his head hesitantly, but allowed his host to ladle out another serving of mysteriously savoury broth. "Not exactly. Lady Tao-hua and myself had a confrontation today. Things were said. Things that I'm not certain what to think about. I'm forced to reconsider my perspective on her in light of them."

"Such as?" Mr. Ping prompted, glancing idly towards the mah jhong board that was still laid out in front of them and finally making his own move.

"I always thought of her as a spoiled child and a crass little brat. She was such a nuisance, getting into everything and no one ever seemed to make a move to stop her. Now.. looking back I suppose that was why. She wanted someone to pay attention to her, she was always isolated and alone even in their household. She told me this morning that she.." he glanced quickly up at his host, then thought better of what he was saying.

"That she'd always been jealous of me as a child, for all the attention my training under Master Oogway brought me. Her father was always preoccupied with other things, such as cleaning up after Guiren and the destruction he liked to wreck out in the farmland." Shifu's eyes narrowed in distaste, as he let his hand hover indecisively over the board, searching for another match in the incooperative scattering of leftovers.

"That boy was so violent, so eager to prove that he was better than his father. I swore to myself while watching them that I'd never allow any child of mine to run about so rampantly unsupervised-"

Shifu's mouth fell open, and he sat back, letting his hand fall slowly to the board. "I.. I swore to myself that I'd personally oversee everything that.. and I'd make sure he knew his duty to.. Oh gods, that's how all of this got started.."

"That's how it's ended, at any rate. Very nicely played, my friend! An excellent victory." Mr. Ping applauded, grinning broadly at his friend.

The red panda looked up at the goose, puzzled, then down at his hand. His fingers were resting on top of the sole remaining pair of matching tiles on the board. Mr. Ping smiled expectantly at him. "This is the first time you've beaten me, Shifu! You don't seem very excited about it."

"I.. I wasn't even thinking about it. It was an accident.. I think." An old tortoise's voice whispered something about accidents in his head.

The goose chuckled, and began clearing away the game and their dishes. "Po tells me that he had to stop concentrating so hard on kung fu before he realised what he was doing wrong. Perhaps you need to do the same?"

Shifu stared wonderingly at the goose as he bustled about the small room, putting things away and absent-mindedly straightening up. "Perhaps that's exactly what I need," he agreed. "You know, I wish you had known Master Oogway, my friend. I think you and he would have gotten along splendidly."

Ping nodded, only halfway paying attention as he glanced out to check on how his help was doing with the late lunch crowd. "Oh yes, he used to come into the shop quite often when I was a child. Very entertaining man, that one! Who do you think taught me to play mah jhong?"

Shifu shook his head. That tortoise in the back of his mind was laughing at him again.

--

Tigress stalked the barracks halls, shoving open doors and throwing accusatory looks into rooms. Thus far, she'd been unable to locate the object of her search. Po remained as vaporiously absent as a giant panda just should not be.

It was infuriating.

She'd checked the bathhouse twice, the pantry and kitchen three times, doubled back to the palace entry, investigated the peach tree that perched on the cliff, and now she was here. If she didn't find some trace of her quarry soon, she would be going door to door in the village.

His room, clear. Her room, empty. Everyone's rooms were empty. She turned the corner and stomped down the hall, scattering a few nervous palace geese who'd come in to see to the cleaning and repair the floor. That only left the palace proper, and.. she paused, throwing a curious glance back down the long hallway that led to the master's rooms. Po wouldn't dare... would he? For that matter, did she dare to check?

She cautiously placed one foot into the hallway, experimentally testing her weight on it. No Shifu appeared demanding to know what she was doing. Well, that was promising, at least. Another step. And another. Her lip curled into a reluctant grimace. They were not supposed to intrude into this hallway, but what could she do? The panda had to be found.

Another step. And another. Why was she so set on finding him, anyway? It wasn't like she was responsible for him. The buffoonish panda was a force of destructive nature, she was more likely to suffer the pratfall that his inevitable folly would cause than he was. After all, she was Tigress. She was supposed to know better than to be sneaking around like a thief in the master's private rooms.

Another step. Well, she did know better. She just couldn't seem to make herself listen to her better judgement with that stupid panda around! Her brow furrowed into an annoyed glare. Stupid panda.. he was like a black and white wrecking ball, didn't the state of the village after his one bout with Tai Lung prove that?

Another step. He'd saved them all, though.

Another step. He'd saved them all, and insisted that it was pure luck. She'd been inclined to agree. Another step, and she was outside of Shifu's door. Ever since that panda had come plummeting out of the sky, she was unsure of everything. She second-guessed herself, her master, everything. Nothing made sense anymore, because that giant blubbery ball of naive bear was constantly rolling through their lives.

She regarded the door, lost in thought. He _had_ saved them all, though. He had brought Master Shifu the inner peace that he'd been decades without. Wasn't that worth something more than her pride? Than the strict rules of protocol?

She reached out, more troubled than ever by all this, and slid the door open cautiously. No one was inside Shifu's room. She let out the breath she'd been holding, and slid the door shut once more and risked a glance back down the way she'd come. Nothing. That left Master Oogway's room.

She slowly approached the remaining door, and gave a gentle push. The room was completely bare, save for a well-worn mat on the floor, and an entire wall full of bins, most of which contained scrolls. One such sat in the floor, apparently having not been put away, or perhaps it had fallen from its perch. Tigress picked it up, running her fingers over the binding thoughtfully before unrolling it a bit.

_Blazing fire alight, burning bright is Orange_

_Fury and focus in every motion_

_Burning all who stray too near, friend and foe alike_

Tigress gasped softly, in spite of herself. "Master Oogway's poetry?" She sat the first scroll down without finishing, reaching for another.

_Effervescent bubbling joy in Gold_

_Living loving life and in spite of the trials_

_Laid before by small ripples in White and Beige_

The tiger's eyes widened, and she began sorting through the stacks, grabbing up one volume, then another. They were all here. Each of them. Master Oogway's vast collection of poetry wasn't just poorly-metered color theory, it was a journal! He'd spoken about them all, never giving names to his students, or Shifu's, only describing them in snatches of color and hints of personality.

The panda, she noted, was described only as perfect yin and yang personified and empowered in pure heart. No wonder the old master had decided to grant him the Dragon Scroll.

Also described were the lands around the monastary, rolling in brown and green and reaching for the sky with hands crafted from the lofty mountains. Centuries of memories, hidden right in plain sight by Oogway and painted with a painstaking detail brush. She couldn't help but wonder at the three separate bins describing the changes on hue of the blossoming petals on the tortoise's peach tree.

People, it seemed, Oogway found simple enough to describe in a few hues and forms, but the ageless land he rendered with especial attention to the subtlest changes from one spring to the next. Tigress wondered then, if the long-lived terrapin had seen the world that way. If he was truly as old as Master Shifu claimed, a mere 500 instead of the nine centuries that folklore claimed, then perhaps people had been small but enjoyable flashes of light in the great rolling landscape.

She picked up the first scroll again, replacing the others that she'd disturbed.

_Burning all who stray too near, friend or foe_

_So much power, so much strength, _

_But without the gentleness to truely use it._

Tigress bowed her head. Master Oogway could only be talking about her here. And she had no idea what to make of it. The gentleness to truely use strength? Master Oogway's riddles baffled her. She rolled the volume back up, and placed it in one of the bins. The old one's mysteries would have to wait, she still had the case of the vanishing panda to solve.


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Wow, last chapter got a much better reception than I'd dared hope for! Thank you guys so much for your kind words! This is the most-reviewed chapter so far!

RenkonNairu: I hope I can come close to that last chapter in the future! I admit I felt like I rushed that chapter out, a lot of the observations I hoped to have brought up in this story I've noticed others picked up on. I wanted to be first to at least point out the Tai/Po parallels.

randomficreader101: I looked for Tai during the credits too (I didn't see him, except in the recreation of his fight with Shifu and the part where the training dummy landed on him, did you?), and I really want to see if they bring him back in a sequel. Obviously he wasn't killed, but that doubt that flickered on his face while Shifu apologised to him really pulled at me. Ha ha, actually, that was a more subtle thing with Mr. Ping... who's to say Oogway didn't find out about the 'secret ingredient' and decide to craft the dragon scroll based off of it? XD Awfully convenient that Mr. Ping just happens to have the answer that the scroll is supposed to represent!

Kelev: Oh darn, I'd hoped it wasn't going to be annoyingly obvious! You're absolutely right, though. This story is definitely an interlocking series of searches.

jlasnoopy: You definitely caught on to what I was doing with Mr. Ping and the secret ingredient/dragon scroll! The poetry was originally just going to be a throwaway gag, but I thought of a way that it could be something more and I'm pretty tickled with the notion that Oogway would hide his memories and observations in plain sight. Just like Po had to think outside the box to get the importance of the Dragon Scroll, Tigress had to be looking at the words from a different angle than she would have earlier in her life to see what all those lines of text really were. After all, literal-minded Shifu didn't catch on! As for Po... we'll catch up to him in a bit.

--

Chapter 16: What Lies Beyond the Surface

Lian slid cautiously down the unfamiliar sparkling hallway, neck craning as she tried to take in everything at once with wide green eyes. So this was the real Jade Palace! Gilded detail work gleamed from the walls, and the jade-inlaid floor practically glowed beneath her. She'd lived on these grounds for almost twelve years, ever since she'd journeyed here to study under the greatest masters of the art of kung fu.. but she'd never been past those huge double doors, covered in coiled dragons and firey clouds.

It seemed like a lifetime ago. It _had been_ a lifetime ago in some ways. She was certainly not the loud, flamboyant creature.. not as much so, anyway; that she had been when she'd amused Master Oogway by rushing forward to the unfamiliar, unknown figure and excitedly asking him if he knew where "that zany old guy who does the kung fu teaching" was.

She'd _meant_ the individual she knew of only in myth and rumor as 'Master Oogway', of course, but had not realised she was addressing the venerable old tortoise himself. Not until she caught sight of a nervous-dispositioned palace goose in bright yellow gaping at her audacity, that is. But the old one had chuckled, and pointed an age-trembled claw at the unamused figure of Master Shifu, advising her that "That's him right over there."

Shifu had glared pointedly, and informed them both that he was not taking on any students, "zany" or otherwise before stiffly limping away to be indignant about it.

Master Shifu hadn't cut a very impressive figure, honestly. She'd heard of him too, of course. The kung fu master who'd trained the monster, the unspeakable creature that only the bravest of the village elders had dared to call "Tai Lung". The master was tainted with the association almost as strongly as the student had been marked for his deeds. None save Oogway spoke to Shifu directly. And he spoke to no one else, if he could get out of it.

Lian had wanted to learn kung fu, wishing to make herself stronger. Wishing to protect herself from the uniquely omnipresent threats that creatures without limbs faced every day. She had desired to be taught by the great master Oogway himself, but as he'd told her as they'd sat on the steps of the magnificent palace, he'd stopped taking on students long ago.

Instead, it seemed that he'd taken up whittling, as he'd been occupied crafting a flute for almost their whole conversation. True to his species, he worked at it slowly but surely, experimentally blowing a few notes now and then and nodding in satisfaction at its' tone. The few notes he produced hung effortlessly in the air like the mist that clung to the mountains in the early-morning sunlight.

Oogway had pointed to Shifu, who was sparring relentlessly with a freestanding training dummy just inside the open door of the training room, and nodded. Lian had watched, intently, as the still-injured red panda battled the inanimate object again and again. It seemed personal somehow, as though the silly thing had somehow betrayed or offended him.

It was an intimidating experience, seeing such a small creature full of so much rage. He over-estimated the amount of weight he could put on his tightly-bandaged leg finally, and instead of delivering a sound roundhouse kick to the dummy, he fell into a heap in the floor with a barely-contained cry of pain.

"I can't learn from him, Master Oogway," she'd reasoned. "He scares me a little."

The aged tortoise had chuckled, and gave her a friendly wink. "Shifu is lost in the pain of his own heart, still. He pushes himself too hard. He expects too much of himself. He's determined to prove the healers wrong, you know. A very messy series of fractures, a very poor job he's let it do mending these past years. And still he's convinced that if he just keeps pushing it hard enough, that he'll be able to force his body back to the point where he once was. It is almost as if he is trying to push back time itself."

Lian watched as the red panda refused the aid of the anxious palace geese, swatting them away. How could someone as wise and apparently good-humored as Master Oogway think that she could learn anything from an embittered, vicious creator of monsters such as this? She turned back to the tortoise in question, and noted the sad but fond look in his eyes as he watched Shifu struggle to stand.

It probably served him right in some ways, she couldn't help but think, to bear a physical sign of the disaster and dishonor that he'd brought upon himself. She shook her head then, pushing the thought away. That was not the way that she had been raised, she would not bear ill will like that. As her mother had often reminded her, ill will was a poison that fouled even the purest vessel. In other words, she would only be harming herself.

And besides, despite his reputation, Master Shifu was still apparently welcome here. At least, if Master Oogway was any indication as he watched and remininsced - whether to her or to himself, she did not know - about his favorite but most stubborn student. She wasn't certain what the old tortoise saw in the angry red panda, but since he did see it, then undoubtably she was missing something.

The ancient kung fu master let out a grunt of familiar annoyance, and arose from where he'd been watching the proceedings with Lian. Leaning on his gnarled peachwood staff, he crossed the yard at a leisurely pace and stood over his apprentice. The smaller animal refused to lift his gaze from where he was staring at his bandaged limb as if he'd almost like nothing better than to cut it and everything it represented off of his person.

"It seems to me, Shifu, that you are having trouble."

The red panda did not answer, in words, but his large, expressive ears sank low on his head in acknowledgement.

The tortoise shook his head, and carefully knelt next to his student. "You know, you are like this instrument, Shifu." He held the piece of bamboo he'd been carving up in front of his face, examining it carefully. "It may appear fragile, and it seems some careless person has damaged it," he ran a claw over the small holes he had carved. "But bamboo is a much stronger material than casual observation might give it credit for."

Shifu did not raise his head as Oogway spoke, opting instead to close his eyes. The tortoise pretended not to notice, and continued presenting his handiwork. And look," he blew a few notes experimentally and smiled at the effect. "While the wood might be damaged, it has taken on new dimension. It still has great strength, but now if it can be taught to rely on wind or breath to fill the void inside itself, it can produce beautiful music."

His student shook his head, despondent. He knew that there was a lesson here, he simply couldn't see the logic in it. "Master.. I can't go on like this. Surely you realize that."

The red panda gave a startled yelp as his teacher rapped him lightly on the head with the bamboo flute, which fell into the startled Shifu's hands.

"Of course I know, Shifu," Oogway agreed, smiling in that mysterious way that he had long ago perfected. His expression held either infinite wisdom or foggy senility, wrapped in a mysterious, knowing grin. "That's why you'll need a walking stick. You are pushing that leg much too hard."

Shifu's expression pulled rapidly back and forth between incredulousness and shock. "Walking...? A walking stick? I thought it was a flute, master?"

Oogway shrugged easily, allowing his head to nod in lazy indifference. "Where did you get that idea? It is only a piece of bamboo, my friend. It can become nothing more unless one's mind allows it to take on aspects of new things. Without the wind to fill it, or a hand to guide it, it is just a hollow piece of wood. It must adapt. It must change, because left to its' own devices now, it will simply fade away."

He paused, looking back down at his student with piercing green eyes that were suddenly bright and clear. "Do you understand, Shifu?"

From her perch on the palace steps, Lian craned her head; attempting to overhear more of the conversation that was taking place just inside the training hall door. She couldn't tell exactly what was happening, but she couldn't fight the feeling that it was somehow tremendously significant. And somehow, it concerned her.

But that made no sense. Master Oogway was just giving Master Shifu a flute!

Wasn't he?

Master Shifu finally got to his feet, aided by the tortoise and the uniquely multitalented walking stick that he had fashioned. His eyes, which still looked clouded with uncertainty, turned towards her, and she found herself holding her breath as the short master of kung fu hobbled back towards her, obviously still heavily favoring one leg. The two of them regarded each other, sizing each other up. Finally, he spoke.

"You wish to learn kung fu." It was a statement, not a question. She bowed her head respectfully.

"Yes."

"Why do you wish to learn?"

"I wish to protect myself, and those around me." He didn't reply, so she found herself expanding on her explanation. Maybe a little joke to break the proverbial ice?

"Life is hard at times when you can't stand up, you know." She hazarded a quick grin at him. He didn't return it.

"I lost my family because I couldn't protect them." A brief but brilliant flash of sorrow seized the snake's face. "To honor their memory, I want to become strong. I cannot bring my mother or my brother back, but if I can save someone else that pain, then maybe.."

She fell silent, feeling foolish.

"You're a..." he stopped himself, then spoke again. "You're barely more than a child."

She looked up at the pensive tone in his voice, feeling newborn hope surging through her blood. They were still discussing it. He hadn't said no yet.

"I'm almost eleven sir, and I've been living on my own for several years now." She raised her head with pride, daring him to challenge her ability to take care of herself. He didn't, he merely squinted at her as though he'd never seen anything like her. Frankly, she doubted he had, either. Her request probably sounded more ridiculous to him than it had to anyone else she'd told it to. And most of them had thought she was crazy.

"I get by. I'd like to do more with my life than just get by, though."

They stared each other down. The prospective student and the reluctant master. Finally, Shifu tightened his grip on the bamboo flute and nodded slightly. "I see. What's your name, then?"

Lian's spring green eyes flashed in triumph. "I'm called Lian, Master."

The red panda favored her with an oddly sharp look, and shook his head. "No, as long as you are my student, you shall be Viper."

And so she had been. And so she was. She paused, taking in her reflection in the shining floor. She had accomplished what she had set out to do, she'd become a truly formidable kung fu master. She'd even helped prod Master Shifu back into teaching again, with Master Oogway's assistance.

She'd wondered many a time in the early, formulative days of her training why Oogway apparently approved of her when the rumor around the palace had it that he'd turned away dozens who had still sought out the Jade Palace even after the disaster that was Tai Lung. At first she'd thought it was somehow in spite of her species, but later she'd come to see that it was because of it.

The difficulty in recreating the basic forms and positions as she was had frustrated her immensely, she even began to wonder if she'd been taken on as a student as a twisted joke. Her effervescent determination had eroded away steadily, and finally one day she'd given up during the middle of a lesson.

"I can't do it, Master! Let's just face facts, there is no way for one such as I to produce that position! It's impossible! I don't have arms to guard with, or legs to carry the stance! This was all a stupid idea!"

Master Shifu glared her frustration down, shouting right back at her. "The exact position is not important! Stop being a slave to the notion that you have to do it perfectly, it is a combination of the form and the effect that gives the move power! Do you think in battle that every move will be scroll-perfect? Do you think that an opponent is going to attack in the exact same pattern that you have practiced?"

His sharp eyes cut into her like a knife as he paced to the middle of the floor. "The form, the fluidity, the function, the flow, they all work together as one. THAT is what gives kung fu power. THAT is what creates its' strength."

He moved into a ready stance himself, and illustrated for her. "Your positioning is key, of course. But the way you carry your weight is to compensate for weakness. Mine compensates for an injury _but!_" He signalled her to attack, and she obediently sprang forward, lashing out with her tail and feigning a strike with her fangs and whipping back around to try and knock him over.

He effortlessly deflected that blow, and the one after as she coiled back around from behind. He easily drove her back before signalling her to stop, annoyance still apparent in his posture and face.

"But it is still completely effective because it has.." His eyes suddenly raised towards the door, a look of abrupt comprehension dawning on his face. Viper turned her own eyes to the door, just in time to see Master Oogway's back as he retreated from watching them. When she turned back to Shifu, she could see something new in his bright blue eyes.

"You have an entire body full of strength, if you'd simply appreciate the opportunities it gives you instead of bemoaning the chances that it does not, then we both might just accomplish something with your training."

It was then that she understood why Master Oogway had chosen her. Just like her, Shifu had limitations that he was forcing on himself. Not because they actually held him back, but because he was dedicated to a narrow view of how things should work.

"It is not a _stupid idea_ to improve yourself, Viper," he'd told her, and for the first time since she'd arrived at the palace, she'd seen a flicker of genuine compassion in him. She quickly resumed her stance, testing how her coils bore her weight and the stability of her position.

"Let's go again, Master." she prompted, experimentally using her tail to mimick the salute that she'd seen Master Shifu give Master Oogway when they practiced together. She could feel new optimism rushing through her like adrenaline, and suddenly she was certain that this was what she was meant to do. The red panda's expression softened a little, and he'd given her a small, approving nod. The first that she'd seen out of him since they had begun training.

"So be it, Viper."

Lian shook her head, dispelling the memory. Reminiscing wasn't helping her find Master Shifu, nor Tigress or Po. She took another look around the ornate hallway, more focused on her mission now than on appreciating the aesthetics of the setting. The faint sound of motion drew her further down the hallway to her right, and she cautiously slithered forward and peered around the corner.

A series of doors stood impassively waiting for her. The closest of which was standing partially open. Soft mumbling could be heard coming from behind the ajar portal, and Viper eased closer to investigate. She peeked through the opening, and was startled to see that she'd found Lady Tao-hua, apparently in her own room.

The viper-style master lingered awkwardly outside of the door, unsure of what she should do. She shouldn't be here, past the heavy doors to the interior palace, to begin with. She definitely shouldn't be spying, for that matter. But the tanuki's actions were puzzling. She was sorting through items, first taking them out of her baggage, then putting them back in. All the while, she was mumbling softly to herself.

Viper shifted her position slightly, grumbling a bit about her poor view, and accidentally jostled the door. Lady Tao startled at the movement, and something flew through the air. Viper cried out in surprise, dodging deftly to the side before her conscious mind even registered that she was moving.

The door abruptly slammed open, and a wide-eyed Lady Tao stood over her, another hefty scroll clutched tightly in her left hand, and her ever-present laquerware fan held awkwardly before her in her right. Viper noted for the first time the thickness of the metal, and the gleaming edge that shone out where the coating had been scratched away by time and use.

It might not just be a decoration, she found herself thinking as her combat-honed mind analyzed the way Lady Tao held the item before her. The viper-style master could tell from the way the lady gripped the device that she'd practiced with it many times, but only had to try and actually fight with it once or twice. That shaky, overly-tight grip spoke volumes.

They froze like that, staring at each other in shock. Finally, Lian managed a nervous laugh. "Now I know why it's supposed to be bad luck to greet someone in your bedroom.."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Long time no update, huh? Sorry about that. Anyway, finally I have a new chapter!

Kelev: I'm really going to make an effort to flesh out the Furious Five. That's one place that the movie fell short, imo. Yeah, Viper's 'zany' line seems a bit overly-anachronistic, but it was written mostly for comedic effect. Tai Lung will be back, maybe next chapter.

jla2snoopy: Yay! I'm glad you liked the tale of Shifu's flute! And thank you for catching a potentially disasterous mistake!

RenkonNairu: You're on to me, more or less. XD Hopefully I can tap back into the coolness of chappie 15 in the future. Even if I have to bring Mr. Ping back in to do it!

This chapter is dedicated to jla2snoopy, who definitely put a plot bunny in my head for this chapter!

--

Chapter 17: What Clothes Make of the Man

Shifu paced through the busy, broken streets of the village, lost in his thoughts. His head was slightly bowed in concentration while his eyes held steadily to the stone path, looking neither to the left nor the right. His large sensitive ears flicked constantly back and forth between the abundant sounds of construction, conversation and general maylay that the partially-rebuilt town was filled with. Though his conscious mind was fully occupied, his subconscious deftly moved him around obstacles as he made his way through the bustling roads.

His conscious mind noticed, and wondered at the phenomenon briefly as he sidestepped an overloaded cart of stones, hopped lightly over a few loose rocks that tumbled off of the vehicle, and deftly but gently pushed a distracted child out of the path of the rolling rubble.

It was all thanks to Oogway's training, of course. His insistance that Shifu attune himself to the world around him had brought the red panda an acute hyper-awareness of the spiritual flow around him. While he could not quite hear the wingbeats of a butterfly in flight, he could detect its' presence without even looking up. He dodged the insect before it could alight on one of his ears, and chose not to recall at this moment that the enthusiastic assistance of a certain tanuki child had been instrumental in honing this skill to a razor's edge.

The kung fu master paused in the shade cast by a rolling foodcart. The afternoon sun was still mercilessly hot, but the lengthening shadows in the streets promised the respite of a cool evening was coming. Eventually.

Shifu sighed inwardly and allowed himself a moment's rest, wondering idly if his class was still waiting for him to return. Surely they'd all have given up by now, he thought. He felt certain that when he returned, he'd find them all clustered around the dining table, engrossed in watching the panda trying on hats.

His mind backtracked abruptly as the disjointed thought fully registered in his mind. Panda? Hats? He looked anxiously about, trying to figure out exactly where that odd little mental digression had come from. A black and white shape moved past the open doorway of a shop. A glance to the nameplate beside the door confirmed it to be Miss Bik's seamstress shop, which set the diminuitive kung fu master's whiskers twitching anxiously anew. He hadn't been in that shop since he'd followed Lady Tao-hua in to inform her at length about how he would not be joining her, or the panda, in the establishment.

She'd stood there smirking at him for several minutes as he'd lividly and with great, sweeping gestures to underscore his annoyance, had outlined everything wrong with the notion of her sudden interest in his wardrobe, his plans for the city, and everything else that came to mind. It was only when the young assistant seamstress thanked him for his cooperation and exited the room with a respectful bow to them all that he realized he'd been standing there gesturing long enough for his measurements to be taken by the industrious little rabbit.

Shifu's recalled that his response to Tao-hua's understated giggle at his expense had been to storm out of the business without another word. Looking back on the performance, he felt shame creeping up on him. Had one of his students behaved so disrespectfully, even to the ever-annoying tanuki, he'd have had them scrubbing each and every stone in the floor of the training hall as penance.

Cautiously, he crossed the busy thoroughfare and peered in the open doorway to Miss Bik's shop. Just as his subconscious had noted, the panda was inside, apparently trying on every hat in the shop and cackling gleefully at his reflection.

It was a childish and yet mature thing, Shifu reflected, to be so easily able to laugh at oneself. He found himself entering the store, much to his own surprise. He was relatively sure that he'd certainly had no intention of doing so moments before. But that was admittedly before he'd caught sight of the panda in the mirror.

His conscious mind didn't register the thing that had drawn the attention of his scrutinizing subconscious until he was standing next to Po. Then, as he stood there patiently waiting for his student to recognize him, he looked directly ahead, meeting his own eyes. What a contradictory pair they were, he thought, glancing back and forth between the carefree delight of the come-what-may Po and his own vigorously controlled, and sharply judgemental gaze.

He adjusted his stance a little, finding himself uncomfortable under the piercing stare that he was giving himself. He'd never noticed before how much he resembled his own father until now. At once he was the scrutinizer and the scrutinized, noting the frayed cuffs and threadbare collar of his robe as easily as he shied away from the glaring, almost-angry eyes and the intimidating, heavy brow.

"Oh! Master Shifu!"

The red panda's inner analysis was shattered when his companion finally addressed him. Shifu looked up to see the sheepish-looking panda grinning nervously at him. "Uh... so... Hey! I uh... found you!" Po's almost-victorious grin faded quickly in the presence of his master's confused stare. "Okay," the dragon warrior sighed, allowing his tense posture to slouch and pulling the latest silly head adornment from between his ears. "So you found me, but still.."

"Here you are, Master Po," the elderly sow who owned the establishment abruptly surfaced from the back room, adjusting her large glasses as she bustled across the shop with a paper-wrapped package. She barely gave the panda time to accept the object before she was shooing him towards the privacy screen in the adjoining room. "Go! Go try them on!"

The panda rushed haphazardly out of their way, leaving Shifu to the overly-motherly attentions of the seamstress. "Oh, and Master Shifu," she bowed, and he echoed the movement. "I believe we have something here for you, as well." His face apparently betrayed his shock all too well, because the lady giggled softly and wiped a few tears of mirth from her pale grey eyes. "Just a moment, I want to see how we've done for Master Po."

Right on cue, the large panda stumbled back into their presence, fumbling desperately with his sash. Shifu noted approvingly that Lady Tao had done better than simply commission a new pants for their dragon warrior. A new tunic and robe of a gentle, blue-brushed green. A faint pattern of a few serpentine golden dragons played along the collar, glinting in and out of existance with the play of the light. It was quite the handsome ensemble. And yet despite it, Po looked perturbed.

"It's really nice and all," he finally admitted, looking ashamed of himself for what must certainly seem like ungratefulness to them all. "But.. why is there a big honking flower on the back? I mean, I'm the dragon warrior and all!"

Miss Bik turned the panda around, examining the neatly-stitched embroidery of the bold, dark green blossom on the back of the robe.

"My dear, that is Lady Tao's special request! You will have to take it up with her why it is on your back."

Shifu stepped forward, admiring the finely-done detail work of the bloom. "I think it's quite appropriate. A lotus flower symbolizes rising through the darkness and muck and still emerging from it remaining pure. Very appropriate for the warrior who faced darkness and yet was untainted by it." He caught the panda's eye, and was gratified to see that his student appeared much less displeased with the image adorning his back now.

In fact, judging by the brilliant grin that now lit up his chubby, childlike features, the panda was downright pleased to have a large flower emblazoned across his shoulders.

"And this," Miss Bik interrupted, pressing another package into Shifu's hands, "Is for you." Shifu carefully unwrapped the paper, and found himself taken aback by the handsome set of robes within. Much nicer than anything he currently owned, they were embroidered with the symbol for the mystic dragon, or endless knot.

The sow nodded to him, clearly pleased that he was so taken by the workmanship. "Black for new beginnings, red for happiness, and also," she pointed to the symbol, "longevity and good fortune. Her Ladyship was quite precise about what she wanted with this set, even though she gave us more leeway with Master Panda's clothing. I'm quite proud of the dragons on those."

Shifu nodded numbly, thanking the seamstress and half-dragging the panda from the shop to get him away from the mirror. As he led the dragon warrior back towards the Jade Palace, he found himself bemused by the exact nature of the clothing Tao-hua had commissioned for him. Longevity, happiness and new beginnings? She hadn't ordered him clothing, it was a custom-created apology.

In the face of it, he felt doubly bad about how he'd been throwing her gesture back at her at the time. Perhaps he could accept her apology. And wearing this clothing could be the first step to doing it.

"Panda."

"Master?"

"Make certain we have something special for dinner tonight. I want everyone dressed their best. We are long overdue to properly welcome Lady Tao-hua to her home."

"Uh... sure.." Po replied, scratching his head at the suddenness of it. Well, no matter, he'd get to show off his new, styling look. He grinned as he began planning a menu. The others wouldn't recognise him now!

--

"I really do apologise," Lady Tao insisted again. "I'm afraid I didn't recognise you at first."

Viper shook her head, declining the placement of blame.

"Oh no, no.. that's okay. I shouldn't have been snooping around, and I definitely shouldn't have startled you. I was looking for Tigress or Po, but so far I haven't found either of them."

Tao-hua straightened the arm full of brown and red robes that she held in her hands, carefully placing them back in her heavy travelling trunk. "I haven't seen Tigress or the Dragon Warrior in my luggage yet, but if I do you'll definitely hear about it." Viper giggled delicately at the notion from her perch on the edge of the trunk.

"If they are, they'll be sorry!" She glanced quickly around the small room, taking in the richly-hued sienna walls and the bright red decorations, accented in white with a few touches of gold. The room was lightly decorated with a theme of nature and flowers. They crept across the ceiling, climbed the two tapestries flanking the small bed, and even wove through the wooden structure of the bed itself.

Honestly, take the elaborate carving of the bedposts down a few notches and get rid of the gilding on the walls, and she wouldn't have found it odd to picture herself or Tigress owning a room like this. Finally she confided "This really isn't what I was expecting. I thought you'd have a much bigger room, and that it would be.. you know..?"

"Fancier?"

"Exactly!"

Tao nodded at the idea, pausing in her labors to point to the walls. "You must remember that I was barely ten when we left. This room was hardly more than a glorified nursery."

Viper nodded. It felt warm here, in a way that had nothing to do with temperature and everything to do with the color harmony and few childhood tokens scattered throughout. In one corner, she could see a long-forgotten doll waiting patiently to be picked up and dusted off. She wondered for a moment at the fact that it was a lovingly painted figure of a princess.

Lady Tao seemed more the type who would have rather played with the wooden warriors that she recalled seeing young boys in town with. Still, she had been a young girl then, and growing up in a place like the Jade Palace, the fantasy of being a princess would be a tempting one to indulge in. Lady Tao's voice broke Lian from her thoughts softly.

"Look here," she called, pacing over to the small bed, which Viper suddenly noted was decorated with songbirds and fanciful clouds among the many five-petalled flowers, and pulled a pair of small wooden arrowheads tied with ribbons from the bedpost.

"Master Oogway carved these from the branches of his peach tree when I was born, one for me, and one for my mother. According to him, they were supposed to drive away evil spirits that might try and steal me in the night." She chuckled and laid the charms on the bed.

"Shifu used to say that the demons settled on possessing me when they couldn't steal me! I always made a point of finding a new way to get on his nerves when he'd say that! And then of course, he'd just feel compelled to say it more often. It was quite a vicious cycle!" The two women giggled at the notion, and settled into a companionable silence.

"So.. why are you packing? Or.. are you unpacking in some way I've never seen before?" It was clearly none of her business, but Lian couldn't help the need to ask.

Tao's spirits visibly deflated, and she settled onto the short stool next to her bed. "I've decided that Shifu can take care of things well enough without me here. I'm not doing anything except being a burden here, and that's not a lifestyle that I think I can go back to."

Viper edged closer, slithering off of the trunk and reaching her tail delicately towards the older woman. "But.. doesn't this mean anything to you? You've told me how close you were to your father, don't it mean anything that he wanted you to have all this?"

Tao-hua sighed, clutching at the sleeves of her reddish-brown robe. "It's not that it means so little to me. It's that it means more to me for everyone to be happy. While I'm here, it seems I've done nothing but upset everyone. And plus there's.."

"Master Shifu's just.."

"I know, I know. He remembers me as an annoying child. I remember him as a rather full-of-himself teenager. We last interacted as such, and it seems we are at an impasse on how to relate to each other any other way now." She smiled ruefully at the admission.

"I can't imagine that he'd like the idea of you wandering like a homeless vagrant, Lady Tao-hua," Viper ventured.

"Please, no more of this Lady business. Call me by my name or don't address me at all." Tao-hua arose, firmly pacing back to her trunk and re-arranging a few items in it. "You're more of a proper lady than I've ever been."

Viper startled, then smiled. "Then you must call me Lian, but not in front of Master Shifu."

Tao turned, holding a dainty small black parasol. "You reminded me of this. It's one of the few articles of ladylike posessions that I had as a child. I was always much more interested in climbing trees and spying on everyone than dressing up. But you, I think, are much better suited to it than I ever was." She held out the parasol.

"I.. I couldn't just.."

"If you don't, I'm throwing it out," Tao warned, the tone in her voice betraying that she had every intention of doing just that. With barely a hesitation this time, Viper accepted the gift. "Thank you, but why?"

The tanuki shrugged easily. "I doubt I'll have much need for it if I'm staying." She began pulling items back out of her neatly-packed trunk as Lian gaped.

"What changed your mind, La- er.. Tao?"

Tao-hua smiled. "You did. I wasn't certain if I wanted to try and leave or not, but you've convinced me. I have much more to do here, and much to finally live up to. I cannot run away from everything. Not at this stage in life."

Lian grinned. "I'm glad. Things are pretty interesting with you around. But.. could I ask you why you were so jumpy when I came to the door?"

Tao's smile evaporated into a thoughtful frown. "You'll think I'm a bit off for saying this, but ever since I've returned, I've had the feeling that things aren't quite right. It's only gotten worse. Ever since my brother left, I find myself jumping at shadows and while it's not usually like me, I can't help the feeling that something is going to happen. That's partly why I was so keen to leave. I'm afraid that I may be putting you all in danger if I stay."

The raccoon dog shivered, and began to pace the cozy, sienna room.

"I've never been one to believe in intuition, far from it in fact, but I feel as though this place could be a trap in the right hands. Every day an invisible noose is pulled tighter around my neck. I fear my brother Guiren may be the one pulling the metaphorical rope."

"Us? In danger?" Lian struck her best 'ready for action' pose, sweeping the black parasol around her head and weilding it like a weapon. "That'll be the day. Now that Tai Lung is gone, there's nothing in this world that we can't take down! Lord Guiren is an amatuer at best!"

The two women yelped in surprise at the rap on the door.

"W-who is it?" Lian squeaked, holding the parasol before her now like a shield. Beside her, Tao had grabbed up another scroll. From outside, Monkey's confused voice called out to them.

"It's just Chen! Why are you so jumpy? And.. hey! For that matter, why are you in there?"

"N-no reason! None of your business! Why are you out there scaring us, anyway?" Viper squeaked. There was a confused pause before Monkey finally replied, sounding as though he were wishing he'd never taken on the task of being palace errand boy this evening.

"Riiight. Well, Master Shifu and Po are back. They want everyone to dress up for dinner tonight. It's supposed to be Lady Tao-hua's formal welcoming dinner."

The viper-style master frowned, sliding the door open. "About a month late with this, aren't we?"

Chen shrugged his long arms. "I'm just the messenger! Say, have you seen Wei and An? I'm supposed to tell them, too."

"Why would they be in Ta- er.. Lady Tao-hua's private room? Of course they're not in here! Try _their_ rooms!" Beside her, Tao sighed and shook her head, discarding her makeshift weapon to a convenient table once more.

The golden yunnan rolled his eyes and struck back off down the hallway. "Alright, alright, sheesh! Just make sure you're ready in time for the dinner gong this evening! I'm not covering for you this time, Lian!"


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Wow, it's been forever since I updated this. Short chappie this time. Sorry!

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Chapter 18: What the Other Self Said

Tai Lung felt, more than heard, the groan that accompanied his return to wakefulness. It reverberated from deep within his chest, resounding through his bones and throat, and tickled the inside of his nose oddly. So.. he still existed in some way? With an awkward grunt, he turned his head to blearily take in his surroundings. He was lying in a depression in a cold, hard, stone floor, someplace with a cold temperature and poor lighting.

Terrific.

He let his weary eyes drift back towards being closed again, unimpressed with his surroundings. He'd been having a dream, he thought, allowing his brow to crease with the effort of remembering. Something about his master, and a small child...? A warm day, that somehow chilled him more than the cold stone he was resting on.

"You're going to lie there forever?"

The soft, unexpected voice caused him to jump in alarm. He sensed no presence, and once he scrambled to his unsteady feet, he could see nothing except the rough, sheer stone walls that surrounded him and the rubble strewn across the broken, uneven ground. His heart hammered unsteadily in his chest as he tried to identify the intangible source of the sentence. A large outcropping of rock, skewed at an odd angle as though it were sinking into the stony ground, across the dimly-lit chamber drew his attention. It was the only place that someone could conceivably be lying in wait for him that he would not see them coming.

So.. why couldn't he sense their presence?

Frustrated, he stalked towards the hiding place, carefully placing his steps so that he didn't disturb the myriad small rocks littering the uneven floor. He paused, when he thought he was close enough. His muscular body tensed. His tail twitched in anticipation once.. twice... The pupils of his firey eyes dillated. He leapt effortlessly throught the air, landing with barely a sound on his chosen stony perch to glare down at the invader..

..But there was nothing there.

With a roar of confusion and rage, Tai Lung struck out at the impassive stone with his fists, bringing them down on the rock with all of the force he could muster in his dazed, confused state. He was only three blows into his knuckle-scarring tantrum when he noticed his guest.

The short figure stared up at him, apparently unimpressed, with a face he had not seen since he was approximately eight years old. The large eyes blinked slowly, evaluating their target, and a soft, disgusted sound escaped the tiny figure as it turned to walk away from him, small feet making nary a sound in the loose gravel scattered over the ground.

Tai Lung weakly reached out towards the retreating shape, finally managing to call after him in a weak stammer.

"W-wait!"

The smaller one paused, glancing back once more with an inquisitive expression, but said nothing.

"Why.. What are you?"

The other gave him an expectant look, as though demanding to know just exactly why it wasn't glaringly obvious what he was. The faint ghost of a smile briefly touched the small face.

"You look.. like... me?"

The eight year old apparition of Tai Lung gave a soft, cocky snort and crossed his short, still somewhat chubby arms as he gave the older cat an evaluating once-over.

"I am you. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

The cub sighed and grumbled unhappily, kicking at a random pebble and looking as though he'd like to be doing something, anything other than being there talking to the apparently rather slow-witted older version of himself.

"I knew the mind slowed down as it aged," the youngster finally murmured, allowing his shoulders to slump in defeat, "but I thought we had at least until sixty before it started happening to us." The cub shook his head and glared up at the dumbfounded adult.

"I am you. And you.. well, you were once me. You've been looking a bit more savage and a lot less fun lately, though." The small creature circled the larger, evaluating the leopard with a gaze that seemed oddly penetrating. Tai Lung shifted uneasily under the stare. Finally, the small one paused, nodding in satisfaction. "It looks like you've passed the first test, the acknowledgement of responsibility and the reflection of epiphany. It was a pretty easy test, but it looked like you had some problems. If you listened to Master Shifu more, you would have figured it out much more quickly."

"WHAT?" The adult leopard's face twitched at the mention of his former master's name in undisguised antipathy.

The cub's annoyed expression hardened. "What, do you want me to use smaller words? You managed to get out of the Astral Plane by accepting fault for your actions and allowing yourself to feel guilt over them. You saw yourself as others had seen you. You didn't like it. You saw what your faults had turned you into."

The older cat nodded slowly, and his young reflection mouthed a quick 'thank you' to the gods.

Tai Lung felt his massive hands clenching into fists and forced himself to relax. He was, he reminded himself, completely reliant on this odd apparition at the moment. "So.. what happens now? Where am I if I'm no longer in the Astral Plane? And.. why are you, a younger version of myself, here?"

The cub folded his short arms behind his head and leaned back against the rough stone wall, almost fading from sight in the dim lighting.

"Oh.. well that's simple. You're back in the mortal realm. But.. you're still sort of stuck." The young Tai Lung's grin managed to look a little more apologetic than cocky for once. "You see.. like Master Shifu's always saying, the most important thing is balance." An odd look of concern flitted nervously over the cub's face. "You *do* remember that, don't you? You know.. light and dark, up and down.. you remember, right?"

At the adult's bursque nod, the youngster continued. "You took on a lot of guilt when you fell off of your self-assured cloud up there Astral-side. Think of it sort of like soul-weight. That's why you're down here. You fell, and were drawn to a place with similar energies to what you took on- you've acknowledged your fault, but you haven't accepted it, atoned for it and purified it from yourself... So that's why your heart feels so heavy.." He grinned suddenly, indicating their setting and the deep crater that Tai Lung had awakened in with a wave of his hand. "..And it's why you made such a deep dent in the ground."

The knowing way that the cub said this made Tai Lung feel anxious, suspicious, even. He didn't care if this kid was him in some way, he didn't like the smart-mouthed little brat.

"So.. unless you want to spend the rest of your life down here in the hole your guilty soul dragged you down into..." the cub gestured up towards the faintly glowing point of light high above them with a smile. "I suggest you get to work climbing out of it."

Tai Lung stared up at the nearly-sheer walls, agog with an eerie feeling of deja vu and hopelessness.

"You must be joking. There's no way I can climb that! Why should I listen to a brat like you, anyway?"

The cub sighed. "Well, you're sure not climbing it by standing there complaining. I'd think you'd be happier to see me than that _other_ you that you faced before, though. We're both aspects of you. We're always with you. The side that wants power and to dominate everything around you, and the side that wants to build instead of destroy."

The child-version of Tai Lung looked down at his small hands and shook his head sadly. "You haven't let me out in a long, long time, in case you hadn't noticed. This is about how old you were when you stopped listening to me and started listening to _him_ instead. I think it's stunted my growth." After a thoughtful pause, he added "And yours."

The warrior didn't inquire as to the cub's meaning, instead he engaged himself with examining the steep walls of the pit they were in. There was no readily apparent way out, it was like a prison. His eyes dillated in shock as the reason for the nagging feeling of deja vu that he'd felt since he awakened revealed itself. He was back in Chorh-Gom prison. He was certain, down to the last finely-spun fiber of his soul, that was true. After all the work getting out of this hellhole, he was trapped within its' ruin once more. With an agonized cry, he sank down to his knees.

"Damn it all!" His fist pounded the cracked stone beneath his feet.

The cub version of himself strolled over, eyeing him curiously. "It's not hopeless, you know. You've gotten out of here before. And it was much harder then."

"Harder then?" Tai Lung snarled, knocking the cub aside. He squinted upwards, finally picking out the small outcropping that denoted the one-time exit to the cell.

The cub easily took the momentum of the blow and rolled with it, rebounding skillfully off of the stone wall and launching himself back into Tai Lung's midsection. The snow leopard, not anticipating the movement, was knocked off of his feet with a startled sound as his breath was knocked out of him.

From his now-familiar vantage point on the ground, the leopard reflected that this defeat was doubly humiliating since the rebound had been one of his own favorite moves as a youngster. He really should have anticipated as much from an apparition of his childish self.

"Now look," the young Tai Lung lookalike instructed with a sigh. "This isn't helping you or me at all." The cub leaned forward, staring significantly into the large leopard's eyes. "Don't forget, regardless of which one of us you fight, you're still only fighting yourself. Stop sulking at take a look around you. The walls are cracked now, there are handholds. Use your hands and your feet, forget about all the fancy moves and just pull yourself out."

Tai Lung gasped for breath, glaring at the impudent small form sitting impassively on his chest. "That'll take too long."

The cub smiled. "You have an audience somewhere that you have to make?"

The adult growled in the annoyed negative. "You remind me far too much of-" he caught himself awkwardly in the middle of the thought and reworded it. "..Of my former master." He sighed in relief as the child-like version of himself hopped down, allowing him to breathe once more. The little imp chuckled ruefully. "You say that like it's a secret who Master Shifu is. You stopped yourself as though you could prevent us from thinking about it. And you don't remind yourself enough of him these days... do you? That's why what I say bothers you so much, isn't it?" The youth snickered childishly. "That, and the fact you've basically been talking to yourself for the past hour."

Tai Lung thrust a hand into a handy crevasse in the stone wall and flexed his muscles into a tight fist, beginning the arduous task of ascending the intimidatingly high stone wall. "Shut up," he advised the cub. The supposed youngster cackled at that, and vanished from view.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Hooray, it's a long chapter again! And finally we've arrived at the dinner scene! We'll rejoin Tai Lung and his better half shortly. ^^

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Chapter 19: What Happened at Dinner

Wei stared impassively and politely at the opposite wall, willing the dinner to end. End, and end _soon_, he pleaded to the gods. The food was incredible, as to be expected. Po had really outdone himself with steamed dumplings stuffed with vegetables and herbs that the mantis couldn't even begin to identify, a hot pot of fish and a side offering of what could only be the mysterious stew that the panda had been plotting out the details of for days.

No, the food was not the problem.

The more formal dress of the occasion was a bit of an annoyance, he had to admit. The Five all moved with careful, overly delicate motions as they ate, careful of the grip they had on their chopsticks and especially conscientious of their formal clothing. All except Tigress, that is. The large feline's face spoke of extreme mental pre-occupation, but still she ate with such practiced grace that it was easy to believe that the bamboo skewers were extensions of her carefully filed but seldom seen claws. Her delicate grace seemed almost unconscious.

Po, of course, was the picture of a small child sitting for the first time at the grown-up table in his fine new clothing. As Wei watched, the Dragon Warrior slowly, deliberately gripped a single morsel of fish in his chopsticks and grimaced with impatience as he waited for the flavorful sauce to stop dripping. Wei couldn't help but smile fondly. Po might be the greatest warrior that China had ever known, but he was probably the most endearing individual that any of them had ever met.

The problem, the mantis thought with a mental sigh, was the miasma of increasingly painful politeness edged with poison that the meal had taken on. Stiffly formal to begin with, it had snowballed to monstrous proportions until they were all mechanically going through the motions of eating and small talk. The two responsible, of course, couldn't seem to stop needling each other. Whether it was intentional or just reflexive, the insect master couldn't say.

"You know, you do look quite presentable this evening, Shifu. What a difference some proper clothing makes."

Once again, what could either be an insult or a compliment made its' way from Lady Tao-hua's mouth to set them all on edge for the inevitable reply. Wei eyed Master Shifu nervously, watching the rapid flicker of emotions that was on display only in the red panda's eyes as he considered his response as carefully as a mahjohng movement.

"Thank you, Lady Tao, it is a refreshing change to see you in something flattering as well." The master sipped his tea with a smug expression as the tanuki took her turn to fume and ponder. Her bronze eyes flashed with something between approval and annoyance. Wei couldn't identify what exactly it might be, but it felt familiar.

It had been like this all evening long. Wei couldn't recall who had started it, but he did remember how it had begun. A comment gone just a little awry, with just a small, perhaps unintentional implied insult. From there, it had grown. A snide but tactfully put remark here, a double-edged observation there, and soon everyone else at the table was sitting up straight, avoiding direct eye contact with everyone else, and waiting for the most painfully polite meal in all of recorded history to be done before it went toppling over into all-out warfare.

The tension was nearly unbearable. For now, the two combatants were content to keep to their facade of supposedly polite commentary, but a quick glance to his fellows confirmed that everyone paying attention expected it to turn into a snarling confrontation at any moment. The memory of this morning's surprise shouting match, which Lady Tao-hua had backed down from for some reason, was fresh and clear in their minds. Whatever had been bothering the woman during practice seemed to be out of her system though, and she was making up for lost time at a record pace.

Wei rolled his eyes. An was once again attempting to break in, once more trying to play the peacekeeper. Even the crane's nearly unflappable personality seemed to be taking a beating from the implied abuse flying back and forth down the length of the table. Rather than embrace the openings that Crane was creating for them to back down, the two seemed almost annoyed by the interruptions.

Echoing that sentiment, Chen was eyeing his fellow master with a strange sort of suspicion. When he caught Monkey's eye, Wei found himself on the receiving end of the piercing glare. The mantis returned his attention to his plate, and quickly. What in blazes was wrong with everyone this evening, he wondered?

Tigress continued to ignore them all, apparently thoroughly lost in some incredible maze within her own mind. Wei couldn't believe she seemingly hadn't noticed the steadily escalating situation at the table. Or perhaps, he thought, she had finally perfected blocking out all disruptions to her mind with Po's "help" over the last few weeks. He hoped so. If Tigress didn't find her center of zen soon around the panda, they were all going to suffer the consequences of her short fuse.

That had to be it, the mantis decided, noting that Tigress's ears didn't even twitch as their master courteously inquired if Lady Tao had been educated in manners by a roving pack of well-intentioned bandits. Nor did Tigress so much as snicker when Tao-hua sighed wistfully and wished aloud in a patronizing tone that she could have "impeccable" manners such as Shifu was displaying this evening. The tanuki and the red panda glared at each other for a long moment before smirking at their stalemate, and that nagging feeling in the back of Wei's mind began whispering to him again.

What in the blazes was this reminding him of?

Tigress didn't notice the food, didn't notice the double-edged comments flying past her head, and didn't even notice the spectacular fumble by Po of a wonton that went sailing over the table between them to land right between her ears. She also failed to notice the full two minutes of breathless silence that gripped the table in the wake of the short flight, as everyone in attendance awaited her reaction with held breath. Tigress failed to react at all, and merely pulled another morsel of fish from her bowl to her mouth with complete indifference to them all and the piece of food resting on her skull.

Mantis pointed at the precariously-balanced wonton with a single (comparatively) enormous chopstick. "Okay, that's completely wrong."

Viper stifled a giggle, Monkey coughed vigourously to cover for the guffaw that had tried to burst from his mouth, and An gaped speachlessly at the sight. Po looked rapidly back and forth between his dumpling and Master Shifu, gesturing verbosely about his regret, confusion, and how amazing it was that he had not yet joined his ancestors in the world beyond.

Shifu's face was screwed up into a bewildered expression as he fought to divide his attention between one eerily unresponsive student, one frantically flailing one, and the female at the other end of the table who was favoring him with that inquisitively amused gaze. Finally, he held up a hand in Po's direction, signaling him to silence and stillness.

"That will be enough, Panda. Tigress?"

Tigress's brow furrowed slightly, and her head tilted the slightest bit to the side as the only indication she might have heard him. The dumpling rolled a hair's breadth to the left, rocking dangerously close to the slope of her forehead. Po and the remainder of the five gasped in hushed suspense at the motion.

"Tigress?" Shifu's cautious tone was tempered with a whisper of annoyance with her lack of response now, and he raised his voice slightly. "Tigress!"

The feline startled in her seat, head jerking erect as she was jostled out of her ponderings and back into the waking world. Her large golden eyes blinked in surprise at the interruption, as well as shock when Po leaned forward, rolled out his tongue and caught what appeared to be a flying wonton out of midair. Awkwardly choosing to ignore the sight and Lady Tao-hua's muffled snicker, she finally replied.

"Er.. Master?"

Shifu sighed, waving her overdue response away. "Nevermind Tigress, it's no longer important." His eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Lady Tao-hua, whom he could tell just HAD to be formulating some crisp remark. He frowned internally, resolving to wait for her observation like one awaited the first snowfall of winter; resolutely, preparedly, and with a good tally of one's stocks.

But she said nothing. Shifu's face quirked slightly in consternation at her silence. What was that infernal woman up to? He could tell she had a remark ready, the little twinges of a smile that kept tugging at her lips told him that as easily as they could have spoken the words- whatever they were. Her bronze eyes twinkled with mirth unvoiced, and he found himself both curious and a little impatient to know just what in the name of all that was sacred was so funny. Several tense minutes later, she still hadn't said a word.

"Well," he finally invited with a sigh, "Let's hear it, my lady."

Tao's smile widened, and he could swear that diabolical amusement in her eyes glowed all the brighter. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Shifu." The tension at the table was back, and in amazingly bountiful supply.

Shifu's blue gaze squinted in challenge, and he let himself grumble a bit an irritation. "The canny observation you've formulated, of course. I can tell that you have one. Don't keep us all waiting, let's have it."

The tanuki's grin slid over into a full smile, and the red panda could tell that she was having to fight to contain a laugh. "Why Shifu, whenever did you become a mind reader? If you know so much about what I'm thinking, why don't YOU tell us what's on my mind?"

Shifu's expression shifted from annoyed to mystified, and finally settled somewhere in between. Whatever this new game was, he couldn't say that he cared for it. From the odd look of consternation on Mantis' face, the insect master was about to reach the limit of his hard-earned patience, as well. Before he could venture an opinion on the workings of the tanuki's nefarious mental state, however; she herself interrupted his thoughts.

"If you really must know, Shifu, I was just thinking that you really do look stunning in black and red." The amusement in her eyes had dimmed down to something less mocking, and more genuine. She was still enjoying the fact that she'd fooled him, but fondly instead of with the anticipated malice.

The master's dumbfounded reply at the apparently sincere compliment was overshadowed as Wei, suddenly struck with an epiphany of sorts, leapt to his feet shouting "You'll never live to see your next anniversary if she finds out where you live!"

One again, silence gripped the table. Finding that he was now the center of attention, Mantis grinned weakly and excused himself from the meal. Viper shook her head and cast a wary eye at Po, who blinked back at her in confusion.

"Okay, what exactly did you put into everyone's food?"

Abruptly, everything fell into chaos. The panda stammered his innocence of the rampant insanity. Tigress demanded to know what was wrong with everyone. An buried his face in his wings in surrender to the madness. Monkey appeared to be speculating internally about something involving the lot of them in a conspiracy against him and Viper appeared to be weighing her chances of landing a piece of food on top of Tigress' head as Po had.

Tao-hua rose from her place at the end of the table, side-stepping the arguments of the six masters as she approached Shifu's seat. "Your students are quite.. colorful," she commented, not quite suppressing a chuckle as the master caught a dumpling that Lian had playfully lobbed through the air with her chopsticks and ate it in silent resignation. After a few moments, he finally replied.

"So, what was your real comment?" he queried, sounded as though he was now only asking out of courtesy instead of any real interest.

"That was it, originally." She tittered softly at the borderline poisonous glare of disbelief he shot at her like an archer's arrow. "And then I couldn't help but think how you'd never believe it. And of course, you didn't and don't. You're still a bit predictable, you know."

"You're still a bit tedious," he retorted, rising from his seat to exit the remains of the meal. This evening's madness clearly called for some fresh air. He was startled when his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps behind him as he exited the palace doors. He was not surprised to discover who it was that had followed him, though. He pretended to ignore the woman as she came to stand beside him on the terrace that overlooked the palace grounds. For a while, they stood in silence, neither certain of what the other was thinking.

Tao-hua glanced idly over to her companion, gauging his every non-verbal reaction as she toyed with the spoon that she found she still had in her hands. "There is something serious I'd like to discuss with you, Shifu." The master in question gave a non-commital snort, clearly wondering if she was capable of serious conversation.

The tanuki smiled a little at the familiarity of the situation, and found her eyes being drawn to the softly glowing moon that seemed to hang so perilously low in the sky overhead. The evening was positively aglow with it's eerie radiance, everything brushed in whispers of blues and silvers that felt oddly ominous. The Lady of the Jade Palace shook the thought from her mind. It wasn't appropriate to the request she had followed her quarry out to the courtyard to make.

Speaking of whom, she was mollified to see that he'd been watching her when she turned back to him. There was something odd in his stare. Almost as if he was trying to discern something through a thick fog. She looked away, feeling oddly warmed and chilled by the gaze.

"I..." She felt her voice die away, and let the cool night air take the thought so that she could reword it. "I would like it very much if you would aid me in preparations for a little journey, Master Shifu," she finally announced, not quite daring to turn and meet his eyes again. Her tone was formal, but her voice wavered, if only a little.

"What sort of journey are you wanting to make, Lady Tao-hua?"

The soft tone of his voice startled her, and she did look up then. The open, curious expression on his face almost made him look like a different person, she thought. Instead of suspicious and mistrustful, he seemed almost concerned. The tone of the entire evening had been changed with that simple query. She pushed the inconvenient thought away.

"I need you to help me with Father. I've delayed this for far too long since we arrived back, to my great shame, but.. it's time to let him go and I..." She trailed off, willing the hot tears that were threatening to well up to be gone from her eyes. It had been three years since his death, but now she was truly going to be alone; without even his remains to bring her reassurance. She couldn't quite bite back an awkward near-sob, and attempted to turn it into a laugh. "Doubtless, Father is cursing me for keeping him from his proper place in the afterlife."

That odd look was back on the red panda's face, and under his steady gaze, she felt the great stone wall of resolve within her crack. She tried to articulate the conflict of heartsickness and duty that was crushing her from within, but the words simply wouldn't arrange themselves properly. The only sound that she managed to create was a soft, desperate-sounding choked sob. Appalled at herself, she buried her face in her hands and turned away. What a pathetic, wretched creature she must seem.

A hand gently took her by the shoulder, turning her back around. She finally collected herself enough to have some semblance of control over her emotions, and realized that she was sitting on the ground now, leaning against Shifu slightly as he awkwardly attempted to soothe her tears.

"You've had a hard time of it, haven't you, Lady Tao?" he murmured, clearly stunned by the outpouring of emotion. The tanuki sniffled softly. "Taking care of Father has been my whole world for so long... It's very difficult... letting him go again. Losing him all over again.." She shivered, and let herself lean against the shoulder pressing against her own. "I'm going to be alone, truly alone."

"You will never be alone in the Jade Palace, my lady."

The softly-voiced assertion caught Tao-hua by surprise. She met his gaze uncertainly, and was taken aback at the gentle expression on his face. The tanuki looked away, startled and a little flush-faced. Ignoring her reaction, Shifu continued.

"You are not simply master of the Valley of Peace, you know. You're also our friend. We will stand by you. You will never be alone," he concluded, iron-clad conviction in his hushed voice.

Tao-hua managed a choked "Thank you" before she collapsed against his hesitantly offered arm, shaking in a cloudy combination of gratitude, fear, grief-wrought tears and embarrassment. Her pride ached a little at the scene she was making, but her heart couldn't contain the emotions anymore.

Shifu carefully patted the sniffling woman's shoulders, unsure if he was more surprised at his one-time adversary's behavior or his own. Still, Lady Tao-hua was not quite the shrill, antagonistic person he remembered from his youth. Time and facing the world which had caused her siblings to retreat farther into their disagreeable personalities had matured her, warmed her heart to the welfare of others, and even though she tried to hide it behind a facade of careless command and blithe indifference, it was obvious that she had a loving heart.

He wondered at the strange feeling; almost one of protectiveness that urged him to calm her, and concluded that he must indeed be losing his mind in his old age.

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Many, many miles away, a robed figure retreated into a dank alleyway. He fairly shook with anticipation. This was the place that the note asked him to deliver his information to. It wouldn't be long before he delivered the message that the small dingy hawk had brought to him. Then he could go home, enjoy a nice nap and-

The wires that seemed to materialize out of thin air around him, entangling themselves in his curled horns and somehow twisting the oversize hood of his tattered second-best suit of clothes around his face interrupted that thought, replacing it with "Will I get home alive?"

"What do you think, sister? Can we eat him?"

"Interesting, most interesting."

"Let's kill him now!"

The owner of the third voice slid lazily down a makeshift ladder of wire beside the messenger, yanking the hood back away from his face. The leopardess giggled at the goat's terrified expression and leapt away, dodging through the elaborate web of tripwires like an especially skilled acrobatic spider.

"I... I have a m-message!" Li finally stuttered, fumbling the cyllander as he attempted to draw it out of his pocket. It rolled purposefully forward, coming to a halt beside the outstretched hand of one of his shadowy assailants. She retrieved it with a careless flick of her tail, snapping the container open with a clawed finger. The three shadowy blobs on the edge of his vision leaned forward, scanning the battered note.

"Oh my, oh my..."

"An invitation?"

"A job!"

"A target!"

"A good reason to sharpen my blades.."

A steel ring covered in claw-like knives flashed through the darkness, severing the wires that held Li captive and sending him sprawling into the alleyway. He scrambled to regain his footing, sitting upright just in time to see three nearly identical leopardesses step into the faint light streaming from the heaven's portal of the filthy street behind him. The woman in the middle grinned maliciously, yanking the object that had freed him out of the dirt at his feet.

"Run along, and send this reply back to Lord Guiren. The Wu sisters accept his intriguing offer. We will leave immediately."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Um.. wow... I have absolutely no excuse for how late this chapter is! Sorry!

Chapter 20: What Message Comes from a Child's Song

The small child continued to hum a tune that Tai Lung's mind insisted that it recalled well. A song from another, more innocent life. One where he had not yet known the claws of greed and the teeth of disappointment in his heart. This other world was one where he had felt he knew exactly what the road ahead of him would bring, and one where he could hear his destiny whispered reassuringly to him on the breath of the wind.

That world was before, and he lived in the now. And the him in the now knew the stinging, tearing talons of greed for the Dragon Scroll. The him in the now had felt the searing pain of the fangs of disappointment when it had been denied him. The Tai Lung that he was now knew not what the world intended for him, nor his place in it, and no matter how his subconscious tried to echo the sounds that the apparition of his younger self was making, he could not.

It scared him a little that he found he wanted to.

He paused, fists and claws anchoring him to the sheer cliffside, and cast a look about for the source of the humming. The child-like version of himself tended to appear and disappear at will as he climbed. One moment he was idly resting on an outcropping of rock far above, the next he was clinging to a precarious perch far across the circular crevasse. The youngster was always at least at shoulder level, though. Sometimes Tai Lung could not indentify where his younger self was, no matter how hard he strained his hearing or craned his neck.

Of course, he did realise that the young him was not really there. It was, of course, all in his mind. But still, it was unsettling to hear a presence but not see it. It was almost like behind pursued by ghosts.

"Come on, you can do it!"

The massive snow leopard looked upwards, to the ledge just a few feet overhead. The familiar face grinned down at him.

"You weren't there a moment ago," the elder commented. This remark seemed to amuse the younger excessively. "Maybe I was and you just weren't seeing things clearly yet." Laughter danced in the young leopard's eyes, and Tai Lung found himself wondering if he'd been this much of a know it all to his master for just a moment. Though the thought and the flash of pain that accompanied it was only registered in his mind for the barest few seconds, the cub was smiling more gently and knowingly at him now.

"Come on," the child encouraged, reaching down and pulling Tai Lung up onto the ledge, exhibiting surprising strength for one so small.

"I'm in your head, you know," the cub commented, in response to the query the leopard couldn't quite make himself articulate. "I know what you know, I feel what you feel, I remember what you remember. And yeah.. we were a brat sometimes to Master Shifu." The child smiled apologetically, and shrugged. "We didn't entirely outgrow it, I guess."

The long silence between them was awkward. The elder leopard stared down at his large hands, which were covered in scrapes, blisters, and worn practically raw in places from the pace of his ascention. "What am I supposed to do when I get out of here," he pondered aloud. The grieving edge that his voice took on wasn't intentional. To his ears, it sounded weak and pathetic, not at all like the fearsome warrior who had taken down the Furious Five alone, and had fought- The flickering candle of worry that had been sputtering feebly in the back of his mind suddenly flared to life.

"Master Shifu!"

His voice echoed loudly as it bounced off of the cliffsides, and he was on his feet again, pacing and staring at his hands with horror. "I fought... And Master Oogway wasn't there... and... the panda.." He grabbed the child-like Tai Lung up in his anxiety, shaking him. "Is he alive? Did I kill him? Tell me, did I kill him?!"

They stayed like that, eye to eye. The cub staring blankly into the adult's wide-eyed gaze with matter-of-fact bluntness. "I don't know," the child finally responded. "I'm not some all-knowing spirit like Master Oogway. I only know what you know. And you don't know, either." The adult leopard sank to his knees, stunned.

"I killed him, didn't I?"

"We don't know that."

"I fully intended to.. I left him for dead.."

"Tai Lung, this isn't helping."

"I didn't.. I don't want it to be true!"

"Tai Lung! Calm down!"

"I really am a murderer!"

The fist that collided with his nose brought Tai Lung's bout of hysteria to a sudden end. "Tai Lung, as part of yourself, I am telling you to pull yourself together!" The large leopard gaped up at what looked to be himself, still younger, but not as young as the cub who'd been shadowing him previously. The younger leopard seemed to have aged, bringing him from an eight year old still chubby with baby fat to a thinner, awkward-looking pre-teen.

"What happened to you?" Tai Lung gaped. The younger him smiled knowingly. "You just grew up a little bit mentally, that's all. It looks like things aren't so black and white anymore, are they?"

The eleven year-old Tai Lung leaned carefully over the edge of their perch, inspecting something far below. The older cat eased over next to him cautiously, unsure of what was going on.

"What do you see down there," he finally asked, shakily.

The pre-teen shot him a sarcastic grin. "What do YOU see down there?" he echoed.

The adult resisted the urge to return the punch in the nose he'd received to its original owner and looked down. A scattering of rocks at the bottom of the shaft was all he could see.

"It's just a bunch of rocks."

The pre-teen grinned. "It's more than that. But it looks like you're still too close to your problems to make much sense out of them yet. We'll have to work on that." The young leopard looked skyward, and pointed out their goal. "I should warn you, it's going to get harder before it gets easier. You're going to have a tougher time from here on out. The handholds are smaller. The rock is smoother. Plus you're heavier."

Tai Lung's ears flicked with impatience as he turned to regard his younger self once more. "Heavier?" he echoed, "You're talking about guilt again?"

The younger leopard smiled broadly. "You can be taught after all! Well yes, guilt is part of it, but it's also responsibility. You know, you've always thought of your training, your kung-fu, as a means to an end. Nothing else mattered to you as long as you had it. There was right, and there was wrong. Right was Tai Lung's way, and wrong was anything- absolutely anything that stood in the way of that."

The pre-teen held up a large paw that he clearly wouldn't grow into for some time yet. "You didn't matter to yourself, you pushed yourself beyond even what our master expected of us," he folded down one finger into his palm. "The village didn't matter to you, as long as you could be the dragon warrior." Another finger folded down. "The principles of kung-fu, even though you studied the thousand scrolls, were all just words to you. You read only to learn how to fight, not better yourself." He sighed heavily.

"I could go on, but I think you understand where I'm going with this, don't you? Now do you understand why you feel like you have nothing? You've never nurtured anything, not even your own spirit." The younger Tai Lung's voice gave a pre-adolescent crack on the last word, prompting him to cough softly as the older cat smirked. "Go ahead and laugh, but this is your soul we're talking about here. Responsibility is a lot harder to bear than just guilt, because responsibility means actually doing something about it instead of just letting yourself feel bad."

Tai Lung turned back to the rubble-strewn ground far below him, considering. "I have to take responsibility and do something about myself? Then, I have to make it up to the village..?"

"Your village. _Our_ village," the other corrected softly.

"My.. village..? I have never thought of it as mine."

"And that's why it's been so easy not to care about it."

"I suppose that is what Shi- Master.. Shifu would want."

"This has nothing to do with what Master Shifu would want. This is about you needing some inner peace. Now that you feel guilt, it will continue to haunt you until you do something to atone for it."

"If they'll even let me into the village to try."

"You'll never know until you make the attempt, Tai Lung."

The massive snow leopard closed his eyes and nodded. If the villagers drove him away, he would be no worse off than he was now, after all. At least if he did go back, he could find out what had happened to his former master. And if Shifu was still alive, then perhaps it was not too late to apologize. As his eyelids eased back open, he found himself looking down once more to the battered ground far below.

Wait.

That pattern...! The rubble below suddenly coalesced into a meaningful image for him, and he felt his jaw go slack with shock as he stared.

"You see it now, huh?" His younger self's voice had a distinct note of victory in it, but Tai Lung didn't look up. He was too involved taking in the image made by the scattered stones below. The crater he'd formed by hitting the ground stood in opposition to the upraised boulder he'd thought the mysterious voice he'd awakened to had been hidden behind. The loose stones on the ground scattered mostly to one side..

..it was an exact double of the image most would call the yin-yang, and a precise mirror image of the water and rock he recalled seeing far above the village, as a child on Wu Dan mountain.

"Perhaps there is hope for you after all, Tai Lung," the younger leopard smiled.

"Perhaps... there is.." he acknowledged. "Just... perhaps.."

-----

"You look uh... pretty cool, Tigress."

The cat is question looked up at the compliment, and narrowed her eyes. "Thank you, Master Panda."

Po flinched as if dealt a physical blow. "Oh come on, you're still mad? That thing with the dumpling was a total accident! I mean, I'd never do something to try and make you look dumb. Not that you looked, you know... dumb or anything. Distracted maybe, but not dumb. Never dumb."

"Panda.."

"I don't even really think it's possible for you to look dumb. I mean, you're like the super kung-fu artist, you know?"

"Po.."

"You're Tigress! You're the..." he stopped babbling, and blinked. "Uh... yeah?"

"Apology accepted."

The panda relaxed with a huge grin. "Awesome. Seriously though, I'm totally sorry for accidentally putting a dumpling on your head. You must have amazing posture, though.. it barely moved at all!" The panda paced around her, evaluating. "Yeah.. yeah... shoulders back, neck straight.. yeah you have better posture than most statues I've seen."

"Po.."

"Uh.. sorry.. I'm doing it again, aren't I?" The panda rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, green eyes squinting in embarrassment.

"Just a bit," Tigress agreed, a small grin touching her face.

Po rocked back on his heels a bit, obviously fighting the urge to fidget as he nervously hummed a tune that the tiger's sensitive ears recalled as a childhood song. After a few minutes of awkward humming, the panda glanced nervously in her direction. "So.. um.. you want to talk about it? I mean.. you were really out of it last night."

Tigress sighed inwardly. She really didn't want to talk about it, truth be told. But meditating on the matter herself was clearly not getting her anywhere. From the corner of her eye she could see Po working himself up to a long rambling statement, doubtless about how he had overstepped and how she shouldn't feel like she had to tell him anything..

"Alright," she agreed, surprising both of them. She straightened the collar of the voluminous green robe that she'd chosen for the day, trying to clear her mind. "It all began eleven years ago, when Master Shifu brought me here from the orphanage. Master Oogway said nothing about it, but he clearly thought there was something intriguing about the fact that Shifu had chosen to bring me home. Crane and Viper were here, and they were nice enough.. but we weren't a family. I guess.. that's what I've always wanted, to have a family."

She risked a glance at Po and rolled her eyes at his expression. "No crying. If I'm going to tell you this, you can't stand there blubbering the whole time!"

Po sniffled. "Sorry.. I mean, it's just so sad and all that.."

"I don't need you to feel sorry for me, Panda. If you start feeling sorry for me, I swear I'll give you something to feel sorry about tomorrow in the training house." Tigress crossed her arms, annoyed and a little embarrassed by the panda's emotional near-outburst.

"Yeah.. I just.. you know.." Po sputtered for a moment, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief before he could get tear-stains on his green formal robe. "I wish I'd known you back then, in the orphanage. I didn't have many friends, either. Everybody just laughed at the big fat stupid panda. But at least I had my dad."

"I didn't have any friends back in the orphanage," Tigress stated flatly, letting her tail lash in impatience.

Po looked up and she felt her eyes widen at the honesty in his voice and face when he replied "If I'd known you, you'd have had one, at least." She turned away from him, and he fumbled for a moment, trying to figure out what he'd said wrong. "I mean, if you'd wanted me as a friend. Most kids didn't, so you know.."

Tigress didn't turn back to him, but she held out her hand towards Po, signalling him to stop talking once again. "I recently came across some of Master Oogway's poetry. He wrote about all of us, did you know that?" Without waiting for him to reply, she pressed onward. "He said something about me that made me start thinking about that time in my life again. He said that I lacked "the gentleness to use strength". I'm just... I can't figure out what it means."

Po gently clapped a hand on her shoulder. "I think you'll figure it out. I couldn't figure out the Dragon Scroll either, until dad said something to me about.." he trailed off uncertainly, and shrugged apologetically as if he couldn't say exactly what he wanted to. "Well, about believing in yourself, mostly. I think that if you believe in yourself, you'll figure out what Master Oogway meant."

Tigress glanced back over her shoulder at Po, uncertainty evident in her face. "I can't help but remember, controlling my strength is what Master Shifu has tried to teach me, from the first time I met him. Sometimes I think I'll never have full control over myself. I lose my temper, I get mad.. and I just lose it sometimes." She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "No matter how much I center myself, I think that deep down I'm always going to be that sad, lonely little girl who just wants a family."

"You've got a family, you've got all of us!" the panda protested, using his grip on her shoulder to turn her back towards the Jade Palace as the doors were pushed open by the palace geese. "We all care about you. We all believe in you. You're the most kick-butt girl anyone's ever heard of, and everybody's proud of you."

Tigress' eyes fell on Master Shifu as he ushered Lady Tao-hua through the palace doors. "I wish I could believe that," she muttered.


End file.
